A Saturday school helping disadvantaged kids catch up with their lessons through out-of-school activities has opened at a primary school in London’s East End.

The project created by the Shine charity is run for 60 pupils at Bromley-by-Bow’s Marner Primary who are brought up to standard using “holistic” methods.

The children come every Saturday from 10am to 3pm and have a theme for the term, starting as science investigators.

The afternoons are educational outings such as tomorrow’s trip to the Soanes centre at Tower Hamlets cemetery Park at Mile End.

The project is the first of its kind in a Tower Hamlets school, funded jointly by the Shine charity, Marner Primary, Poplar’s Harca housing association and Poplar Schools Partnership.

“This increases learning in a different way to the usual Monday-to-Friday lessons,” explained Assistant Head Carol Doherty who manages the scheme. “Activities include English, maths and science with an holistic approach that teaches team building which helps their confidence. We teach that it’s fun learning.”

The project has volunteers from Poplar’s Langdon Park Secondary and London University’s Queen Mary College at Mile End.

The Shine charity runs Saturday classes at 25 schools in London and Manchester for Years 4 and 5 pupils who are on free meals and have English only as a second language and who are falling behind in their lessons.

The new Saturday school has funding for the next three years, but already has a waiting list of 15 youngsters wanting to join.

The official launch was March 15 when the ribbon was cut by Poplar & Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick, but Saturday sessions began when the school got three-year funding in November.