School Spotlight – Pakefield High School

Our Star School for September is…

Pakefield High School, Suffolk!

At Pakefield High School, Lexia is helping students build confidence and make real progress in literacy. In this interview, Jess Harvey, Teaching Assistant and Lexia Coordinator, shares how the school has embedded Lexia into their intervention strategy, the impact on student motivation, and why it stands out as a valuable tool for reading development.

Watch and read the full interview below.

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

We had a school within our MAT that was already using Lexia. We received an email about it, so we spoke with the other schools to see how they had found the programme. After hearing their feedback, we decided to give it a try. The final decision came after the trial, as we felt it was the best intervention we could implement for English in our school.

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

We love that it’s online, it’s interactive, and it interests the children. It’s different from traditional classroom learning; they’re not just sitting with a piece of paper. We love that it’s independent, it’s tailored to each and every student, and it encourages that independent learning.

How is Lexia used in your school? Please provide details of your daily routine and how you ensure that you reach recommended usage as well as which pupils use the program in school.

In terms of identifying students, we were already running phonics and spelling interventions, as well as STAR reading tests. So, we took the students who were already receiving those interventions or had been identified as having a lower reading age. We then spoke with class teachers to get their feedback and see if any other students stood out as needing extra support.

During the transition period, especially with new Year 7s coming in, we assess those students, and if they need intervention, we make sure they’re placed on it.

As for how we use Lexia in our school, we run it in different ways. We have form-time interventions, which are about half an hour in the morning with groups of up to 20 children. We also run sessions throughout the week for groups of 15 to 20 students, which is where we tend to support a lot of our lower-ability students.

In addition, we have Period 6 sessions, two 45-minute sessions for our older students in Years 10 and 11.

Describe the impact that Lexia has had on your pupils. Have you noticed a positive change in their motivation to succeed in literacy? 

Oh, absolutely. We’ve definitely seen an improvement with teenagers, especially in their confidence. Students are able to check their progress and see how far they’ve come, from where they started to where they are now.

It’s great to see those moments where they say, ‘Look, Miss, I’ve completed this level!’ or ‘I’ve powered up!’, it’s really beneficial. It’s lovely to see them gain that self-confidence after a Lexia session.

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

Yes, we actually had a student with a low reading age, and from the trial to where they are now, they’ve made huge progress. Their reading ability has really improved, and their confidence has grown massively.

With their GCSEs coming up, they now feel much more positive, like, ‘I do know this, I can do this.’ So yeah, it’s made a real difference.

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

Yeah, so we use the Lexia resources, like certificates, at the end of every half term. We also hold assemblies where we recognise students’ achievements.

We’ll purchase small gifts for students who have really stood out, whether they’ve worked hard in a tricky area like grammar, word study, or comprehension, or if they’ve completed a large number of units and put in extra effort, including using Lexia at home. We nominate those students for a reward, which is really beneficial.

There’s definitely some healthy competition across all year groups. They really want that reward!

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

They’re really useful! Great for tracking the progress students are making. We do weekly check-ins to see how they’re getting on, how many units they’ve completed, and whether they might need a bit of extra support.

It’s also brilliant to share this data with other staff during meetings and compare it with other interventions we’re using in school. So, it’s really beneficial.

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

I would say get as many staff involved as possible in implementing it. I have several other TAs who run sessions alongside me, and we also have accounts for the headteacher and English teachers so they can access reports and track progress.

I’d definitely recommend making sure all staff can engage with it. And just give it time. Progress doesn’t happen overnight, but with consistency, you’ll see the results.

What feedback have you had from your Lexia pupils?

They love the reward system, especially that end-of-half-term moment when they receive their reward and see how many certificates they’ve accumulated over the half-term. And of course, they love the bigger rewards, like an Easter egg when Easter is coming up.

They also really like being able to check their progress at the end of each session. That’s something we make sure to do. We review how many units they’ve completed, and if they’re struggling, we can step in with extra support. They know they’ll get that help from us.

And they love the high score streaks too! They like seeing how many correct answers they’ve got in a row!

Is there anything else you would like to add regarding why you think Lexia has been a success in your school?

I think for our students, especially boys, interventions can be a big hurdle. But Lexia is interactive, fun and, well, I want to say ‘cool’!  It’s definitely not your typical intervention!

What stands out is that it’s tailor-made for each student. It’s suited to them, at the right level, and they’re progressing as they should be.

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

I would say it’s personalised, targeted and enjoyable.