Literacy Spotlight – St Joseph’s Primary School, Belfast

We spoke to Suzanne Abram, SENCO of St Joseph’s Primary School in East Belfast. Suzanne tells us of how a chance encounter with our program nearly a decade ago has led to over two years of closing literacy gaps in her school, and how Core5 Reading transformed one boy’s perspective of education.

How did you first come to across the Lexia programme and what led to the school’s final decision to purchase?

We are an urban school in East Belfast and we have about 400 pupils on our register at the minute, with two classes in each year group. There’s a wide range of abilities across the school. We have a lot of newcomer pupils, and about 16–17% of pupils on our register have a special educational need. Within that group, we have children with specific literacy difficulties.

I was away on a career break and, when I came back, the numbers of children with literacy difficulties really had shot up. I had heard about Lexia before, and we really felt there was a need to put some sort of intervention in place to help these pupils. Differentiation obviously works within the classroom, but there are those pupils who need that one-to-one, targeted approach that’s consistent and progressive.

I thought Lexia was kind of perfect for that, because you could deliver it to a lot of pupils all at the same time.

How did you first come to across the Lexia programme and what led to the school’s final decision to purchase?

Well, I had heard about it probably about seven or eight years ago when I was working with another local school. I had met up with their SENCO and we were walking through the school, and all these computers were set up in the assembly hall. I was like, ‘Oh, what’s this?’ And she explained that this was where they delivered Lexia.

It was really good because it could be facilitated for a big group of children, all working individually. Her classroom assistants could help, and it was targeted at spelling. They have a similar demographic of children to us and a similar size of school, and I sort of had thought about that, but obviously the budget wouldn’t allow for it at the time.

Then I went away and, when I came back, it just came into my head again. I remembered that and thought, this is something we could use. So we decided, with the okay from the principal, to go and trial it. And within a few weeks, the staff had said they’d already seen an impact. The children were engaged, and it was able to be targeted at each individual level for them.

Within a few weeks, we were like, ‘Yes, that’s for us. Thank you very much!’

What do you feel makes Lexia stand apart from other reading skills software products on the market?

Well, I think to start with it’s the number of children that you can actually target, because we are a large school and we need to be able to deliver something to large groups of children at different levels. So it’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of approach.

It also uses technology, along with any Skill Builders or any lessons that could be delivered by the teachers or the classroom assistants. Every child loves technology and they don’t feel like they’re doing spellings. When you’re trying to do spellings with them, they don’t want to do spellings, but if you put it on a computer, they’re happily going to sit and do it and engage with it. Even as low down as P2 are doing it now.

So, I think that blended approach of technology, and being able to deliver it at different levels, really works. We can see the data really quickly. The teachers do the five-minute check-ins, so they’re able to see exactly that week who needs more time, who hasn’t been on it, and whether there are any lessons that need to be delivered. It’s very fast.

Which cohorts do you use Lexia with and how do you identify pupils to put on the programme?

Well, initially in September, I start screening all the children from P3 to P7. Any children that fall below their age-related expectations then get issued a licence.

Initially, I had to be very picky because we had a lot of children who were two years below or more, you know. Now we’ve seen the impact (this is the second year we’re running it) so I’ve been able to increase that to children within six months of the age-related expectations. So, we use it that way.

After talking with an Implementation Adviser at LexiaUK, I’m going to screen all the P2s in Term 3 so that they’re ready for September. That way, I don’t have do that in September when it is busier.

So, if I know exactly who’s going to have a licence, they can start doing it in class because we have iPads and they can use them during those times as well.

What is your approach to timetabling and how you ensure that you reach recommended usage?

With our initial training it was recommended and encouraged to timetable it in. I know from visiting the another school, that’s what they did, because school days are really busy. There’s lots of activities happening, and the daily routine can change. Sometimes interventions can be the first thing to be bumped off that list because it’s easy to say, ‘Okay, we won’t do it that day.’ But then that has a snowball effect.

So, what I did was timetable it, in conjunction with our ICT coordinator, for four mornings a week for Key Stage 2 pupils, and then four afternoons a week with our Key Stage 1 pupils. That way, even if they didn’t hit every single session for those four days, there’s still a minimum of two or three that they’re getting every single day.

With children with specific literacy difficulties, it’s little and often, and repetition and overlearning is key. It’s not going to be one day a week that they’re going to have any kind of impact, it has to be constant.

Even with the Primary 2 pupil that I work with one-to-one, he gets it every single day. Whilst the first level took nearly a month or two to get through, he’s working far quicker now because he’s getting that every day and he’s getting used to the activities and learning how to work the program.

Describe the impact that Lexia has had on your pupils

Yeah, well, I think it’s had a positive impact, particularly in Key Stage 2. If they see me in the corridor, they actually ask, ‘Is Lexia on today? When am I coming?’ So, the fact that they actually want to go and do it is a big plus.

Sometimes getting children to do spellings is very difficult, and especially if they have a difficulty in literacy, they’re more resistant or reluctant to take part in a session focused on something they find challenging.

They love to get the certificates, so we find those really beneficial. In Key Stage 1, we would have our weekly assemblies, and the teachers have decided to give those certificates out during assembly to really highlight their achievement.

We also look at their GL data three times a year. You can see an impact, especially with those children who have specific literacy difficulties. For those we were specifically targeting with spelling, they are able to transfer those skills from the intervention into their daily writing. You can see an impact on their daily writing and then in their GL assessments as well.

Can you give an example of a Lexia success that sticks out to you?

I would say yes, one of our P6 boys. This is our second year of running the Lexia programme, so he would have started when he was in Primary 5. He had quite significant spelling difficulties in his literacy, and that impacted on his confidence. There was actually school-based anxiety as well, which would have been an issue for him too. He would have held a lot of that in during the school day.

Towards the end of the last term in Primary 5, I actually got an email from his parent, and she had pinpointed the Lexia programme as the defining feature in why he suddenly did not hate coming to school. We didn’t even know he was having meltdowns about coming to school, but he didn’t want to come. He didn’t want to be participating in lessons, and he would have masked all of that in school.

She had really great difficulty getting him to school, and by the end of the year, he was happy to come. He loved school. She actually wrote in black and white that it was the Lexia programme that had been the change for him, because it had been P5, so that was the only thing that had changed for him in school. He’d been with us for five years.

He has completed Lexia. He’s completely finished it!

How have you used rewards to motivate and celebrate success on the Lexia program?

It is done as a daily practice within the classroom. The teachers all know the timetable, they’re given that in August before we start, so they know when their pupils are going, and throughout the year we might add pupils to it.

They’re always very positive about the certificates and about the pupils doing it. They can see every week how their pupils are doing in relation to the progress they’re making, and it’s that positive praise. Children love positive praise and that verbal feedback, and it’s every week. It’s not just one week and then you forget about it for months – it’s constant.

It reminds the children that other staff members, who maybe aren’t their teacher or directly involved are able to see what’s going on. Then at assemblies it’s highlighted as well, with the certificates alongside the verbal feedback.

The first year was about implementing it, getting it into the timetable and teachers remembering to send their pupils. But this year it’s embedded. We’re tweaking it, the children know the routine, and it’s become part of the school culture and daily life.

How useful have you found the myLexia reports in terms of demonstrating progression and informing planning?

I think they’ve been really valuable. Obviously, I would be on it every other day, checking the different classes and the SEN cohort, and after speaking with Chris, I’m going to change how I classify the children as well, so I can see reports for the SEN children or newcomer children, as well as the main body of children who are working on it.

I’m in and out of it every day, but the teachers are also logging in as regularly as they can and they can see the data. If Skill Builders need to be done or there are lessons to deliver, they can see that exactly. We’re lucky enough to have classroom assistants, and I got them trained last year. They’re familiar with the programme and how to deliver the lessons, and they’re on it as staff as well, so they can see the data too.

We’re using that real-time data to really see who’s struggling and what they’re struggling with. The children can see that it’s not a standalone lesson every day in the ICT room, it filters into the classroom routine and into all aspects of the curriculum really. It’s transferable skills. It’s not just, ‘I go to the computer room for Lexia,’ and then I never think about it for the rest of the day.

What main piece of advice would you give to a school that was just getting started with Lexia?

I think I would have two main pieces of advice really. The first would be to avail of the training – not just the initial training, and not just for teachers. Get the classroom assistants trained as well, because they can facilitate it too.

Also, take up the training throughout the year. I was able to do the training again last year as the SENCO, and to include other staff as well. It refreshes your memory about what you need to do and helps you implement it properly and get the most out of it. It’s an expensive programme and you want to get as much out of it as you can, and you get as much out of it as you put into it.

The second thing would be to timetable it, because as we all know, schools are very busy and it could be the first thing to go. But if it’s timetabled and it’s part of the daily routine, it’s going to be beneficial for the children and valuable for them.

What feedback have you had from your Lexia pupils?

Yes, they like using it. They love that aspect of playing with the technology, it doesn’t really feel like learning for them, and it’s gamified a wee bit. They can play the games, and even after individual units within a level, they get the little on-screen reward.

As I say, in the corridor they’ll ask me, ‘Is Lexia on today? What’s happening?’ Especially at times when assessments are taking place, and they know it’s not happening, they’re all eager to find out when it’s going to start again. I think if the pupils are asking when it’s going to be, you know it’s valuable and you keep it!

Is there anything else you would like to add?I knew from speaking with that teacher that Lexia was very valuable, and there’s a reason why it’s been used in so many schools for so long. Things come and go. Education can be very fad-based. One year there’s a new intervention, and the next year it’s gone and there’s a different one.

But Lexia has been around for a good few years, and if something’s around that long, there’s a reason for it. It’s the impact on the children that’s the most important thing.

If you could describe Lexia in 3 words, what 3 words would you use?

I would say definitely engaging for the children and valuable for the staff. And effective, because we can see the impact back in the classroom on their literacy work and on them being able to access the curriculum, especially at Key Stage 2, when some of them were maybe reading three or four years below their level.

Some of these children weren’t on my SEND register, so they weren’t able to access provision at Stage One or Stage Two of the Code of Practice. This is a whole-school provision and it’s on our provision map. So, if a child has any kind of barrier to their literacy, they don’t have to have a special educational need to access it, they can access it as part of whole-school provision

Improving Literacy in KS2: What Can the Reading House Tell Us? 

For many primary school leaders, Key Stage 2 can feel like a careful balancing act. Pupils are expected to draw on years of prior learning, apply their reading and writing skills with increasing independence, and prepare for both statutory assessments and the transition to secondary school.

At this stage in the year, literacy gaps often become more visible, and more urgent. What may have once been small inconsistencies can now present as more significant barriers to progress.

The good news is that we are not short of guidance. The real opportunity lies in how we translate that guidance into focused, practical action, especially in the final term. This is where the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) ‘Reading House’ offers something particularly valuable: a clear, shared way of understanding reading that helps leaders move from broad concerns to precise next steps.

Understanding Reading: The “Reading House”

One of the challenges with providing literacy support is that it can sometimes feel difficult to pin down what skills need to be addressed. When a pupil is described as a “struggling reader”, it doesn’t always tell us what the issue(s) are and what needs to happen next.

The Reading House helps to bring clarity. It reminds us that reading is not a single skill, but a structure built over time. Strong foundations in phonics and early language support everything that follows. As pupils move through Key Stage 2, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension become increasingly important, working together to enable confident, independent reading. 

A similar model, Scarborough’s Reading Rope, illustrates how these components (or strands) become increasingly interwoven over time. As pupils develop fluency and automaticity, these strands tighten, leading to skilled and confident reading.

For school leaders and teachers, this shift in thinking is helpful. It moves conversations away from general attainment to specific skill gaps. Rather than asking “Who is behind?”, we can ask:

• Which component of reading is the barrier?
• Which targeted support will address it most effectively?

This is where meaningful intervention begins. Guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation consistently highlights that strong literacy outcomes are built through a combination of high-quality teaching and carefully targeted support. What the Reading House adds is a way to ensure that this support is not only evidence-informed, but also precisely aligned to how reading actually develops. 

It encourage a more joined-up approach. Teaching, assessment and intervention are no longer separate conversations, but part of the same picture which each contribute to strengthening the overall reading structure.

What Can Educators be Doing Now?

As the summer term approaches, this is not about introducing something entirely new. Instead, it is about sharpening focus and making the most of the time that remains. 

Start with Diagnostic Assessment

A helpful starting point is assessment, but not just in terms of scores or outcomes. At this stage, the most valuable insights are diagnostic. When teachers can see which part of the Reading House is less secure, their teaching can become more precise and limited time can be allocated more effectively. A pupil struggling with comprehension may, in fact, be held back by limited vocabulary. Another may understand a text well but lack the fluency to access it efficiently. These distinctions matter, particularly as pupils prepare for transition.

Strengthen Formative Assessment

Alongside this, there is real value in strengthening formative assessment within the classroom. In the final weeks of term, small instructional adjustments can have a significant impact. When teachers are continually checking understanding and responding in the moment, pupils are more likely to secure the skills they need before moving on. The Reading House provides a shared language for these decisions, helping to keep teaching focused and consistent across the school. 

Focus on Evidence-Informed Interventions 

Intervention, too, becomes more effective when viewed through this lens. The Education Endowment Foundation reminds us that impact comes from coherence rather than isolated initiatives. When support is directly matched to the specific component of reading that needs strengthening, it is far more likely to make a difference. Without that alignment, even well-intentioned interventions can miss the mark. 

Leverage Technology to Support Targeted Teaching 

Technology can also play a supportive role in this picture. In a busy Key Stage 2 classroom, meeting a wide range of needs can be challenging. Used thoughtfully, technology can provide targeted practice across different aspects of reading, while allowing teachers to focus their time where it is needed most. The key is ensuring that any tool used reflects the full structure of reading, rather than narrowing the focus to just one element. 

How Can Lexia Core5 Reading Support Teachers and Pupils? 

For schools looking for a structured and scalable approach to literacy, Lexia® Core5® Reading has been designed to meet these needs. It goes beyond focusing on a single skill, supporting pupils across the full spectrum of reading development from phonological awareness through to comprehension. This helps ensure that gaps are identified and addressed wherever they appear.

Adaptive Learning For Every Pupil

One of the features that schools often highlight is Core5’s adaptive nature. As pupils work through the programme, the level of challenge adjusts automatically. Pupils who are struggling receive extra scaffolding and practice, while those ready to progress can move on without being held back. This ensures that learning remains both efficient and appropriately challenging for every individual.

Blended Learning That Connects to the Classroom

Core5 is not just an online programme. Its blended approach combines digital learning with teacher-led resources, making it easier to link independent practice to classroom teaching. This connection helps ensure that what pupils are learning online reinforces (and is reinforced) by the work happening in lessons.

Engaging Pupils and Building Confidence 

Engagement is a key part of Core5’s design. Game-based elements, progress tracking and a clear sense of achievement help motivate pupils and build confidence, even for those who have previously struggled with reading. By making literacy enjoyable and rewarding, the programme supports pupils in developing not just skills, but a positive attitude towards reading.

In Practice: Herrick Primary School 

At Herrick Primary School, Lexia Core5 Reading has become an integral part of daily literacy routines, supporting pupils across the full spectrum of reading development. Pupils take ownership of their learning, independently tracking progress, completing activities and receiving immediate feedback through the programme’s adaptive system.

This approach has been particularly valuable for English Language Learners and those who initially struggle with literacy, allowing them to develop essential skills such as phonics, sentence construction and comprehension while also building confidence and motivation. Teachers have noticed that pupils frequently transfer what they learn in Lexia directly into classroom tasks, demonstrating both fluency and understanding in reading and writing.  

The programme’s blended approach and engagement features, game-based activities, progress tracking and personalised rewards, have helped embed consistent routines and sustained motivation across Key Stage 2.

Herrick’s experience highlights the importance of structured, targeted support, informed by ongoing assessment, that complements high-quality teaching. By combining diagnostic insights, adaptive practice and opportunities for pupils to take ownership of their learning, the school has been able to close skill gaps, enhance fluency, and prepare pupils effectively for end-of-year assessments and the transition to secondary school.

Taking the Next Step

As the summer term approaches, there is a real opportunity to put these ideas into action. Even a short period of focused, targeted support can begin to close gaps and build momentum ahead of the next academic year.

A 30-day evaluation of Core5 Reading offers schools the chance to explore this approach in their own context. It provides time to identify key needs, establish routines and begin to see how targeted, adaptive support can fit alongside existing teaching.

With evidence suggesting that meaningful impact can be seen in as little as 12 weeks, acting now can help to set pupils up not only for end-of-year assessments, but for a more confident start to what comes next.

If you’re considering how best to strengthen literacy provision in Key Stage 2, complete the form below to begin.

The Lexia Awards 2026

Celebrating the best and brightest of Core5 and PowerUp

It’s awards season! Over the next term, we’re celebrating The Lexia Awards, recognising the pupils, classes and educators who are delivering exceptional Lexia progress this year!

We are looking to shine a light on outstanding individual progress, creative classroom routines, dedicated Lexia Coordinators and whole-school achievement, so there are lots of ways to celebrate the impact of Lexia in your school.

This is your chance to nominate those who go above and beyond. Awards categories include:

For Learners:

• Lexia Learner of the Year – Outstanding individual progress
• Resilience Award – Overcoming barriers to make meaningful progress

For Educators and Schools:

• Lexia Leader Award – Exceptional commitment to driving Lexia success
• Literacy Impact Award – Whole-school literacy progress through Lexia

Nominating is quick and easy, simply use the form link below to celebrate Lexia achievements in your school. Winners will receive book vouchers, certificates and digital badges, plus a special place in our Lexia community spotlight!

Submit your nominations for the Lexia Awards 2026

Inclusive Literacy: Strategies for Primary Pupils with SEND

Ensuring that every child develops confident reading skills is a priority for primary schools, yet pupils with special educations needs and disabilities (SEND) often face additional barriers to literacy.

For SENDCOs and school leaders, providing effective reading intervention requires a strategic, evidence-based approach that addresses diverse learning needs while working within the realities of curriculum demands and resource constraints.

Literacy for All: Strategies for Primary Pupils with SEND is a practical guide designed to support educators in implementing inclusive, research-informed literacy strategies. It explores key approaches to improving reading outcomes for SEND learners, with a focus on adaptive instruction, targeted support, and data-driven decision-making.

This guide will help you:

• Deliver more effective literacy support: Tailor literacy instruction to meet the needs of learners with dyslexia, ADHD, and speech and language difficulties.
• Save time and enhance impact: Explore the role of adaptive learning and technology in delivering personalised reading intervention.
• Make data work for you: Use assessment and real-time data to inform targeted interventions and demonstrate impact.

By embedding these approaches into literacy provision, schools can take meaningful steps towards closing the attainment gap and ensuring equitable access to reading development.

Want to experience the impact of Lexia Core5 in your school? We’re offering a free 30-day evaluation for schools interested in seeing how Lexia Core5 can support their students’ literacy skills development.

Simply fill out the form below to enquire about a 30-day evaluation of Lexia Core5 Reading.

Why Reading Age Isn’t Everything

And what to focus on instead

Reading remains one of the most powerful gateways to learning, wellbeing and future opportunity. It is no surprise, then, that literacy continues to sit high on the national agenda. With initiatives such as the National Literacy Trusts’ National Year of Reading, there is renewed focus on ensuring all young people develop the reading skills they need to thrive, both in school and beyond.

For secondary schools, this challenge is particularly complex. Each year, pupils arrive from a wide range of primary settings with hugely varied experiences, abilities and needs. Some students transition confidently into the demands of the secondary curriculum, while others struggle to access subject content because of underlying literacy difficulties that may not be immediately visible.

To identify pupils who need support, most secondary schools already undertake some form of standardised reading assessment. Reading age is by far the most commonly used measure, offering a quick snapshot of attainment. However, once schools have this data, a familiar question often follows: What can we actually do with it?

In this article, we explore why many secondary educators find Reading Age data difficult to act on and what can be done instead to gain a clearer, more useful picture of pupils’ reading ability, one that genuinely informs teaching and interventions.

Why Reading Age isn’t everything

Reading Age scores are popular because they appear simple and concrete. They allow for easy comparison between students and can quickly highlight those reading below their chronological age. In busy secondary settings, this clarity can feel reassuring.

But reading is far more complex than a single number suggests. It is not one skill that can be neatly captured by one data point.

The Simple View of Reading provides a helpful framework here. It explains that reading comprehension, the ultimate goal of reading, is the product of two broad skill sets: Word Recognition and Language Comprehension. Both are essential, and weakness in either can significantly limit a pupil’s ability to understand text.

Dig a little deeper, and each of these areas breaks down further into more specific component skills. These include phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, background knowledge, inference and other comprehension strategies. Together, these skills enable pupils to become fluent, confident, curriculum-ready readers.

Reading Age assessments rarely allow teachers to explore these components in enough detail. While a score may tell us that a pupil is reading below expectations, it does not explain why. Is the difficulty rooted in decoding? Slow or inaccurate fluency? Limited vocabulary? Weak comprehension strategies? Many assessments focus heavily on a pupil’s functional ability to read words, rather than their deeper understanding of meaning, structure and purpose. Without this insight, it becomes challenging to plan effective support.

There are also broader limitations to consider. Reading Age scores can imply that there is a single ‘normal’ level of reading for each age, when in reality, there is a wide and natural range of ability, particularly in adolescence.

Finally, an over-reliance on Reading Age can unintentionally affect pupils’ confidence and engagement. Labelling texts (or pupils) by age can limit book choice, discourage risk-taking and undermine motivation to engage with a wider range of challenging and interesting material.

Literacy Spotlight – Kings International College, Surrey

We spoke to Martin Byrne and Jo Stevenson at Kings International College. A non-selective secondary school, Kings International College have been a Lexia customer for over 6 years. Martin and Jo share with us how they implement PowerUp Literacy across a broad student cohort, share myLexia reports with concerned parents and keep students motivated on the programme.

How did you first come to across the Lexia programme and what led to the school’s final decision to purchase?

Martin: I know in the early stages; we weren’t using Lexia effectively. I think during that time it was used for very small, group SEN interventions only. Part of the challenge for us is that we didn’t have a very robust set to cohort level reading age data. As our use of Lexia started to develop we became better at benchmarking and assessing the whole school literacy in our incoming cohorts. Once we understood it more, we began to recognise the great value it provided in our interventions. We started on a small scale, felt the impact, and felt like it was worth investing in.

Which cohorts do you use Lexia with how and do you identify pupils to put on the programme?

Jo: We use the NGRT to initially assess the student’s reading age in Year 7, and regularly as they progress through Key Stage 3. We use that to determine what type of intervention they need. Obviously, we’re looking directly at students that need support with the relevant lexia strands of Word Study, Grammar and Comprehension. Once we’ve determined those students, I then run 3x 50-minute sessions with those students in a classroom. This usually goes on for a ter.

Martin: The actual selection of student we vary on the intake. We look at a combination of the NGRT data, standardised reading score and a difference between chronological reading age and reading age. This identifies a gap. Depending on how many student we’ve got in different cohorts, typically we’ll classify students’ literacy abilities as “wave one” in a similar way we would with SEND.

Wave one are students that can access the curriculum and are at their reading age. Wave two are between 18 months and 2 years below their chronological age and here is where Lexia intervention begins. Finally, wave three is where there is a much bigger gap, and we use Lexia here amongst other literacy interventions. Lexia we find gets students on track quickly. We use Lexia to arrest the narrow gaps.

What makes Lexia stand out from other interventions you’ve used in the past?

Martin: It’s impactful, it’s evidence-based and it has built in diagnostic tools that help track student progress. The reports get quite granular in terms of student engagement, what progress they’re making, and what areas they need to target to make meaningful improvement. Lexia isn’t a broad-brush approach. Once you’ve got students on this intervention, it’s tailored to their individual need.

Jo: The ability to pick out individual needs and how they need to be addressed. The myLexia reports are absolutely invaluable. Every Friday I run reports on each individual student, and this allows us to monitor students on an ongoing basis and have these conversations of “you need help in this area i.e. comprehension”

Describe the impact that Lexia has had on your pupils

Martin: I’ve found that we see less anxiety about attending lessons, more willingness to engage and really give it a go in mainstream lessons once the students return from the intervention. There is less regression and backsliding too, year on year the data comes through and we find that once a student has been through Lexia they hold ground better than they did with other previous interventions.

Jo: It’s the increase in confidence too. For example, I was in a lesson the other day that involved reading aloud, and one of the last year’s Lexia cohort had the confidence to stand up and read aloud. Sometimes this gets lost in you’re only looking at the data, but to see it in practice that they have increased confidence in the classroom is really good to see.

Can you give an example of a Lexia success that sticks out to you?

Jo: I think with this it’s important to start with the context of when they start on Lexia. Often the students are quite concerned – “Oh does this mean I have low reading ability” – so that knocks their confidence a little. The Year 11’s I’m working with now started Lexia when they were in Year 8, and some of them begrudgingly admit that “Yes Lexia did have an impact, and it was worthwhile”!

Martin: When the student has been through the Lexia programme, and the programme has been delivered with integrity, then it has lasting impact. There are a lot of variables that affect educational outcomes, and a lot of barriers. In our school, Lexia removes on of our barriers. What stands out about the students on Lexia is that there isn’t really a standout. The become the standard.

How have you used rewards to motivate and celebrate success on the Lexia programme?

Jo: As part of our school award system, we have achievement points, and when students on Lexia hit their targets then they receive an achievement point. What we’re careful to do is avoid only rewarding those students that have completed the most work, because quite often we find that lower ability students may have only completed a few units a week. We look more for if time has been well spent on Lexia and reward that instead, so we like to reward effort as well as achievement.

Motivation changes from year group to year group too. The Year 7’s really like the more gamified aspects and the streaks and comparing who has done the most work. They’re very eager to know if they’ve made the most progress! We have a boy at the moment that has a streak of 1200!

We have other rewards too; it’s a silly thing but having my chair, the teachers chair, is rewarded to the student that I feel has made the most effort that session!

How useful have you found the myLexia reports in terms of demonstrating progression and informing planning?

Jo: In terms of informing planning, the autoplacement at the beginning if the Lexia process is invaluable. All of the planning at early stages is built around that feature. It allows us to easily see what we’re dealing with.

The reports are great for feedback for parents too. We find that parents tend to get quite interested when they’re told their child is being given literacy intervention, and voice concern of “Oh gosh, I wasn’t aware there was an issue!”. We can then use the data in the reports to reassure them that we’re doing 100% of what we can for their child and show them their progress as the student moves through Lexia. It helps us to establish a relationship with the parent that feels more like a team.

What main piece of advice would you give to a school that was just getting started with Lexia?

Martin: What we’ve learned over the past six years, and the past three years of implementing the programme impactfully, is that it’s vital to get your student selection correct. Your Lexia cohort needs to be based on rigorous data. This is key.

We look not only at reading gaps, but attendance too. In secondary schools you need to be asking the question “Are they actually going to turn up and be present, or will we just be wasting our resources?”. Sometimes that is a hard call to make, but we have learned through experience over the years that it is necessary.

Lexia implementation staff do advise what works, and how to implement the course effectively. With any intervention there is a cost implication, be staffing or time. Trying to deliver Lexia without dedicated, well-trained staff will not deliver the full impact that the programme can have – that is recognised by the EEF.

I think that for any school leadership out there thinking about trying Lexia, I would recommend that you take the hit, invest financially in staffing and protect the time in the school day for it. If you ensure this from the beginning, then in pays dividends.

10 KS2 Comprehension Activities to Prepare for SATs

Engaging reluctant readers in Key Stage 2 can feel like an ongoing challenge. Many pupils approach longer texts with hesitation, lack confidence when faced with unfamiliar vocabulary, or struggle to retain key information. Yet strong comprehension skills are essential, not only for reading success, but for accessing the full curriculum and achieving their potential in SATs examinations.

To support teachers in building confidence, motivation, and mastery for every learner, we’ve put together ten practical, classroom-ready comprehension activities. These approaches offer structure, repetition and visual scaffolds to help even the most reluctant readers engage meaningfully with texts.

To make things even easier, we’ve created a free downloadable KS2 Comprehension Activity Pack, featuring sample passages at a range of ability levels and accompanying tasks to build comprehension and writing skills.

“Before, During, After” Guided Reading

A simple and highly effective structure for supporting focus and independence.

• Before: Predict using the title, preview vocabulary or carry out a picture walk.
• During: Pause at planned checkpoints to summarise, clarify tricky words or anticipate what might happen next.
• After: Ask targeted questions or complete a short retell.

This framework helps pupils develop the habits of active, reflective reading.

Download Your Free KS2 Comprehension Activity Pack

To help you put these ideas into practice, we’ve created a free downloadable comprehension pack. It includes:

• Short fiction and non-fiction passages at a range of reading levels
• Ready-to-use comprehension tasks for each text
• Teacher notes to support classroom delivery

The Big Lexia Survey Giveaway 2026

Introducing The Big LexiaUK Survey 2026!

“How do other schools implement Lexia?”

It’s a question we hear often from schools looking to maximise their impact on reading.

During the National Year of Reading, it feels like the perfect time to ask a wider question too:

How are schools supporting reading and what challenges are they facing along the way?

That’s why we’d love to hear from you.

Take part in The Big Lexia Survey 2026 and help us better understand how reading is being supported in your school, how Lexia fits within that approach and where the biggest pressures and priorities lie. From targeting and timetabling to tracking progress and overcoming reading barriers, we’re keen to learn what’s working well and where you’d value more support.

In return, you’ll be entered into our prize draw to win £250 of National Book Tokens for your school library.

Your feedback will help shape future resources, guidance and support, ensuring Lexia continues to support schools effectively during the National Year of Reading and beyond.

Click below to take part. It only takes 15 minutes, but your insights will make a lasting impact.

Giveaway Rules

1. Only one entry per person.
2. Entrants from the UK and Ireland only.
3. Entrants must be teaching staff in a school that is a current customer of LexiaUK.
4. We are unable to accept entries from anyone connected with any schools participating in empirical studies relating to Lexia..
5. Winner will be selected using a random number generator and checks to ensure all entry requirements are satisfied will take place until an eligible winner is chosen.
6. Prize will only be sent to a school email address. Winner must provide a valid school email address upon selection for prize to be delivered.
7. Winner will be notified by email where email address will be confirmed for prize delivery.  A follow up phone call to the school will be made in a further attempt to make contact. If no response in received within 7 days of initial contact, the prize will be withdrawn and a new winner selected.
8. All entry requirements must be satisfied for successful entry into the prize draw.
9. Giveaway submissions will be accepted between 4th March 2026 at 8:30am and 24th July 2026 at 4:00pm after which a winner will be selected. We cannot accept entries submitted after this time.
10. Winner will be announced from 1^st September 2026.
11. In the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond reasonable control, LexiaUK reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition or these terms and conditions, either in whole or in part, with or without notice.

Giveaway Entry Requirements

To Enter, participants must:

• Complete The Big Lexia Survey 2026. 
• Provide contact details at the end of the survey.
• Be a member of staff at a school that is currently a LexiaUK customer.  

The Key to Motivating Learning: Plan for Engagement!

Reading engagement plays a vital role in nurturing a lifelong love of learning and supporting literacy development across school. By focusing on the factors that spark intrinsic motivation, we can better understand how to encourage active engagement in the learning process and help pupils become confident, motivated readers.

The Power of Engagement

Research has consistently shown that students who are deeply engaged in their own learning not only adapt better to the classroom environment but also perform significantly higher academically. Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris (2004) highlight the pivotal role of internal motivation in successful learning, emphasising the need for students to be both motivated by and deeply engaged in their educational journey.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation

Before we can develop strategies for motivating our students, we must first understand that not all strategies are created equal. One common way in which motivational strategies are categorised is intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that comes from within the student such as the activity being personally rewarding or enjoyable, while extrinsic motivation may come from factors such as an external reward scheme or incentives.

Delving into the debate of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, a meta-analysis of over 100 studies by Deci et al. (1999) revealed that intrinsic motivation is correlated with higher levels of effort, satisfaction, and learning. But how can we inspire intrinsic motivation in our students?

What Drives Intrinsic Motivation?

Pillars of intrinsically motivated behaviour include:

1. Autonomy: Instilling a sense of control, agency, and independence.
2. Competence: Fostering feelings of effectiveness, capability, and internal reward in tackling challenges.
3. Relatedness: Meeting the need for meaningful interaction and connection with others. This sharpens social skills and provides an external motivation for the child.

Harnessing Intrinsic Motivation with Lexia

How can we guide our students towards intrinsic motivation when engaging with the Lexia program? Here are some different ways that you can employ these key drivers of intrinsic motivation in your Lexia sessions:

Autonomy

• Choice Matters: Provide students with choices, allow them to select their activities or strands during sessions. Both Lexia® Core5® Reading and Lexia® PowerUp® Literacy offer students a choice of activities, promoting their autonomy.
• Interactive Engagement: Encourage participation in the varied opinion polls and questions embedded throughout the program. Look out for these appearing and ask the student why they answered that way. Encourage their independence in their responses.
• Goal Setting: Enable students stay actively involved in their learning by setting their own  personal goals. The myLexia Resource Hub provides downloadable Goal Setting Worksheets to empower students to set themselves actionable goals and the Student Programs dashboard gives students to the tools to track their progress towards these goals.
• Involvement: Share data with students, allowing them to play an active part and clearly see the growth that is occurring due to their effort.

Competence

• Personalised Learning: Lexia’s Auto Placement feature ensures the right level of challenge for each individual pupil. If a student has continual difficulty on the program, consider reassessing them to see if their needs have changed. You can also manually place a pupil at a level based on your own knowledge of their needs.
• Celebrate Success: Acknowledge every success, whether it’s completing levels, units, or dedicated usage goals. Verbal reinforcement can be a powerful tool to highlight each small achievement as they occur in the classroom.
• Certificates of Achievement: Utilise Lexia certificates to mark students’ achievements and let them know they are succeeding. A range of different types of certificates can be download from the Resources Hub by visiting the Student Achievement section.
• Regular Monitoring: Keep up with myLexia reports to intervene when students face challenges. This can prevent too many unsuccessful attempts in an activity, potentially leading to reduced motivation.

Relatedness

• Open Dialogue: Engage in open conversations with students about their Lexia progress, levels, minutes completed, and goals. Most pupils enjoy the opportunity to talk about their most recent achievements in the program.
• Peer Sharing: Encourage students to share their experiences with each other, fostering a sense of community. Allowing students to share what they are covering in their new level can motivate others to get to that level too!
• Competitions: Host competitions at the class or individual level, showcasing individual achievements to the class. You can utilise myLexia data or information from the Student’s dashboards to introduce a ‘Streak of the Week’ or ‘Units Leaderboard’.
• Classroom Environment: Leverage the classroom environment to display Lexia progressions and successes. Timelines can be used to provide a clear visual of your pupils progress through the program while certificate displays and leaderboards give students a space to celebrate each other’s achievements.
• Social Media Sharing: Capture and share success stories on your school’s social media. This helps to create a sense of pride within the wider school community. Make sure to use #LexiaUK to share these achievements with us too!

Crafting a Lexia Engagement Plan

To ensure a holistic approach to fostering Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness, consider creating a Lexia Engagement Plan for your school to ensure that these strategies are tailored to your unique environment. Follow the steps below to begin:

1. Build Autonomy: Detail how the school will empower students with choices, goal-setting, and transparent data sharing.
2. Promote Competence: Outline the school’s commitment to celebrating every success, utilising personalised learning features, and monitoring progress proactively.
3. Promote Relatedness: Describe how the school will encourage open dialogue, peer sharing, and the use of the classroom environment and social media to enhance the sense of community.

By implementing these strategies, your school can unlock the full potential of Lexia programs, creating an environment where students are not only motivated but deeply engaged in their learning journey. If you require any support in developing your Implementation Plan for Lexia, get in touch with our knowledgeable and friendly Customer Care team.

Click here to contact Customer Care

Navigating the New Ofsted Framework

With the first inspections now underway under Ofsted’s updated 2025 framework, many leaders are taking stock of what the changes mean for their schools. The shift to a more detailed report-card model, the introduction of new evaluation areas and the sharper focus on inclusion all represent a significant adjustment to the inspection landscape.

For reading and literacy, particularly for pupils who may face barriers to learning, these changes bring renewed attention to how consistently and effectively schools support progress. While the framework continues to evolve in response to feedback from the sector, one thing remains clear: strong, joined-up literacy provision is essential for ensuring all pupils can access the curriculum.

This blog offers a clear overview of the reforms now in place and provides practical strategies to help your staff and wider literacy provision feel confident and well-prepared for the months ahead.

Overview of the New Ofsted Framework

From December 2025, all routine school inspections transitioned to the updated Education Inspection Framework (EIF). Key developments affecting reading include:

A shift to detailed report cards

Schools are no longer defined by a single headline judgement. Instead, each setting receives:

• a 5-point grade across several evaluation areas
• a short narrative describing strengths and priorities
• Contextual information that acknowledges pupil need and school demographics

This more detailed approach gives leaders richer feedback, but it also means inspectors are looking more closely at the quality and consistency of provision.

Evaluation areas

ding and literacy now contributes evidence across multiple areas, most notably:

• Curriculum and teaching
• Achievement
• Inclusion
• Leadership and governance

Because reading and literacy underpins curriculum access, practices in this one area now influences outcomes in several parts of the report card.

A new 5-point grading scale

The scale is designed to recognise sustained excellence and identify improvement needs more transparently:

• Exceptional
• Strong standard
• Expected standard
• Needs attention
• Urgent improvement

The expected standard reflects effective, consistent teaching aligned with statutory guidance. Most schools are likely to sit between expected and strong.

Stronger emphasis on inclusion

The introduction of a standalone Inclusion evaluation area signals a national commitment to addressing gaps in attainment and curriculum access. Inspectors are paying close attention to:

• How quickly needs are identified
• The quality of adaptations and scaffolding
• The impact of targeted support for disadvantaged, SEND, and vulnerable pupils

What These Changes Mean for Literacy Leaders

With reading and literacy threaded throughout the new evaluation areas, leaders have a clear opportunity to make literacy a central strength of their school. Strong literacy provision directly impacts Curriculum and Teaching, by ensuring pupils can access lessons across all subjects; Achievement, by supporting measurable progress in reading and comprehension; and Inclusion, by addressing barriers faced by disadvantaged or SEND pupils. In practice, inspectors will look at how well reading is taught and supported, how gaps are identified and addressed and how all pupils are supported to make meaningful progress, making literacy a key factor in multiple aspects of a school’s report card.

1. The need for a coherent, school-wide approach

Inspectors are looking for:

• shared understanding of reading progression
• consistency in lesson design and support
• routines that help pupils build secure, cumulative knowledge

Inconsistency between classes or phases will be more visible under the new toolkit.

2. Confidence in demonstrating impact

Because outcomes are reported across multiple categories, leaders need:

• timely, accurate data
• clear evidence of progress over time
• specific insight into the experiences of disadvantaged groups

Being able to talk confidently about how your pupils are reading and how quickly they improve supports several inspection areas at once.

3. Sustainable support for teachers

The new framework also recognises teacher workload and wellbeing. Approaches to literacy need to be:

• manageable
• repeatable
• aligned to existing routines

Teacher confidence is a key part of demonstrating a strong standard. When staff know what to prioritise, pupils benefit and inspectors notice.

How Technology Can Support

While digital tools are not always required, many schools are now turning to technology to help manage the increased emphasis on evidence, early identification and targeted support.

Technology can help by:

• Improving assessment accuracy, giving teachers precise information without additional workload.
• Providing adaptive practice, supporting diverse needs at the right level.
• Reducing differentiation burden, helping teachers plan in a way that supports all abilities without additional workload.
• Generating clear progress evidence, which can strengthen inspection narratives across multiple evaluation areas

Used thoughtfully, technology enhances teacher effectiveness and ensures pupils receive consistent, well-targeted support.

Leading Literacy with Confidence

The new Ofsted framework introduces more detailed reporting and new evaluation areas, but the fundamentals remain consistent: clear, structured reading provision supports pupil progress, including for disadvantaged learners.

Focusing on reliable routines, targeted early identification, and consistent teaching allows schools to manage inspection expectations effectively. The reforms provide a framework to demonstrate the quality and consistency of your reading provision and the practical impact of your teaching and support.