The Summer Slide: How to Keep Your Child’s Learning on Track Over the Holidays

Ah, summer.

The sun’s out, uniforms are stuffed in the back of drawers, and children everywhere are breathing a deep sigh of relief. And rightly so. They’ve worked hard, and they do need rest.

But here’s the catch—while they’re switching off, so is their learning.

Welcome to what educators call the “summer slide.”

The summer slide is the drop in academic performance that happens when students go six weeks (or more) with little to no educational engagement.

It’s especially common in:

• Children preparing for the 11+ or ISEB exams in September

• Teens heading into Year 11 or Year 10 with big GCSE goals

• Students who’ve made strong progress during the year—and then lose momentum

Without regular revision, key skills begin to fade. Vocabulary shrinks. Essay structure is forgotten. Mental maths slows down. Confidence takes a knock.

By the time September rolls around, they’re not ready to sprint—they’re trying to catch up.

Research shows that over the summer:

• Students can lose up to two months of reading and maths skills

• Teachers often spend the first half of the autumn term re-teaching old content

• Momentum from the previous term is often completely lost

It’s not about turning the summer into a boot camp—but doing nothing often comes at a bigger cost later.

Here’s the reality:

🎯 The 11+ and ISEB exams arrive in early September.
📚 GCSE students need to hit the ground running in Year 11.
📉 There’s no “settling in” time for serious exams anymore.

So while your child can rest this summer… they can’t afford to completely hit pause.

The goal is balance. Keep brains engaged without burning out.

✅ A simple, consistent routine:

• 30–45 minutes of revision 4–5 days a week

• Mix of reading, writing, problem-solving, and past paper questions

✅ Light, engaging tasks:

• Creative writing prompts

• Timed comprehension and verbal reasoning

• Vocab games and logic puzzles

• Real-world learning: museums, journaling, storytelling

✅ Targeted support:

• Identify gaps from the year and focus on those

• Use feedback from mocks or end-of-year reports to guide revision

✅ Flexible tuition or group lessons:

• Keep structure without overwhelming the calendar

• Boost confidence and accountability

• Build momentum before September hits

Think of the summer not as a break from learning, but a chance to solidify skills and build confidence.

Your child doesn’t need to do hours of work each day.

But they do need to keep the wheels turning.

It’s far easier to maintain momentum than to rebuild it.

At TJ Tutors, we offer summer revision classes and personalised support designed to:

• Fit around holidays and family plans

• Keep key skills sharp and confidence high

• Prepare students for September exams without stress

📅 Check out our Summer Programme here:
👉 https://www.tjtutors.co.uk/summer2025

Or book a free consultation call:
📞 https://calendly.com/tj-tutors/consultation-call

Let’s make sure their hard work this year sticks.