summer school

American  

noun

summer schools plural

1. study programs offered by a school, college, or university during the summer to those who wish to obtain their degrees more quickly, who must make up credits, or who wish to supplement their education.

2. a school offering such programs.

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summer school British  

noun

1. a school, academic course, etc, held during the summer

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• summer schools
  plural

Etymology

Origin of summer school

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

summer school

The state’s schools—once among the U.S.’s worst-performing—have made gains with intensive tutoring, mandatory summer school for struggling pupils and a back-to-basics approach that emphasizes phonics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

During summer school, Ruiz said, she was called into a classroom where kindergartners were repeating their parents’ worries — often, what parents heard on the news — but not understanding the gravity of the situation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2025

Amy Cribb, an access coordinator at Swansea University, is part of a team running outreach sessions at schools and colleges and a free summer school for people who are under-represented at university, including young carers.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2025

So was increasing classroom instructional time by promoting summer school and offering mini-academies during winter and spring break, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2025

I had to get up at seven because of summer school.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera