This term, we invited schools across the UK to take part in our Lexia in Action competition, a celebration of the creativity, commitment and impact behind high-quality Lexia implementation.
We were overwhelmed by the thoughtful submissions showcasing how educators bring Lexia to life in their classrooms, intervention spaces and wider school communities.
Today, we’re excited to announce our winners, three fantastic examples of Lexia in Action, each demonstrating how purposeful, data-informed practice can transform pupils’ literacy confidence.
Winner: The Forest School, Wokingham
Submitted by: Lisa Hollands, Learning Support Assistant
Our winning submission stood out for its creativity, consistency and inspiring whole-school culture of celebration.
Two years ago, Lisa took on the responsibility for Lexia interventions and immediately found ways to tailor the experience around pupils’ needs. One of her first changes was transforming the intervention rooms:
“Many of our students particularly struggle with the grammar section of Lexia, so I filled the walls with simple explanations and examples… Students regularly refer to these visuals, and they have proved extremely helpful in supporting their understanding and confidence.”
Lisa didn’t stop there. She revamped how progress was celebrated by handing out certificates daily, paired with a small treat to recognise success in the moment.
“This simple change has had a huge impact—students are much more motivated, and they now push themselves to complete levels.”
Her weekly “Longest Streak” challenge keeps pupils focused and encourages them to ask for help when they need it, building both independence and resilience. Even staff get involved:
“We make it a point to model that mistakes are normal, even staff don’t always get the answers right! The students… take great joy in catching us out.”
A termly staff–student competition added a sense of fun and community and as the school has grown, so too has the Lexia cohort.
Congratulations to Lisa and The Forest School for an outstanding, learner-centred approach to Lexia!
Runner Up: Holy Rosary Primary School, Belfast
Submitted by: Pame Muñoz-Cabrera, Newcomer & Diversity Leader
Holy Rosary impressed us with its deeply embedded approach to supporting newcomer pupils and learners with diverse needs.
Lexia plays a central role in the school’s blended literacy strategy:
“We embed Lexia daily as part of a blended approach to reading instruction.”
Direct teaching works hand-in-hand with Lexia’s adaptive tasks. Pame uses Lexia’s resources to plan small-group interventions focused on phonics, vocabulary, and reading strategies:
“Lexia adds to their learning journey by reinforcing these skills digitally and giving them confidence through personalised practice.”
To keep engagement high, the team at Holy Rosary do the following:
- Support pupils in tracking their own progress through Lexia’s dashboards, which motivates them to reach milestones.
- Celebrate achievements weekly with certificates, shout-outs and treats.
- Use Lexia’s data to plan interventions and ensure every child gets the right level of challenge.
This thoughtful, consistent approach has made a real difference for pupils at Holy Rosary.
Runner Up: King Edward VI Community College, Totnes
Submitted by: Yasmin Biggins, Literacy Lead
Our second runner-up demonstrated powerful, whole-school consistency from Year 7 all the way to Year 11.
“We have been using Lexia for two years, and the impact it has had on our students has been truly life-changing.”
Anchor charts and display materials support literacy across the intervention space, and older pupils benefit from bespoke GCSE-aligned targets. The end-of-year data tells a compelling story:
“Many demonstrate significant gains in their reading and spelling ages, with some even exceeding age expectations.”
Motivation is boosted with generous prizes, many donated by the local community. Highlights include skip-the-queue passes, food vouchers and an end-of-term raffle. Sharing progress updates with donors has strengthened community relationships as well as pupil engagement.
The most meaningful impact, however, is on students’ confidence:
“When a child who previously struggled with low self-esteem and confidence feels secure enough to raise their hand and read aloud, it is a clear sign that the programme is making a meaningful difference.” Yasmin Biggins, Literacy Lead
Congratulations to all our winners!
Thank you to every school who entered. Your passion, creativity and commitment to literacy is truly inspiring.
If your school didn’t win this time, don’t worry! We’re always looking to shine a light on the fantastic work happening across the Lexia community.
Click the button below to nominate your school for a future Literacy Spotlight feature.
