SCHOOL may be out for most, but for the newest students at Maltings Academy, the summer has been jam-packed with lessons.
Boys and girls due to start in Year 7 in September have been taking advantage of the Government-funded summer school.
The two-week scheme has seen the ten and 11-year-olds baking scones, making an app, creating a song and making a CD cover, trying new sports, giving Power-Point presentations as well as organising an awards evening and crafting the invitations for their parents.
Lu Craker, who liaises with partner primary schools to ease pupils' transition to the academy, in Spinks Lane, Witham, said: "The whole idea of summer school is to help our newest students to settle in and to build their confidence and give them the opportunity to make new friends before they start full-time.
"They are also getting to build their skills which they will need when they come here."
Harry Coombs, 11, has recently moved to the area from Dagenham and so did not go to primary school locally.
He said: "I didn't know anybody before summer school. Now I've made lots of new friends and so I'm not so nervous about starting at Maltings in September."
