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 beach is only covered by lifeguards during the summer school holidays, which have yet to start.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

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

Like his school, which he calls his Real School, as opposed to summer school at Belleza High in Midtown.

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