Jump to main content
Search
shortlist register contact us menu

New literacy programme to be trialled by 200 English schools

Date posted : 26 June 2017

A promising new literacy programme for primary school pupils is to be trialled with support from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) over the coming months.

The literacy intervention project is called Abracadabra and is a 20-week intervention designed to develop literacy skills in Year 1 pupils aged five and six years old.

Under this scheme, teaching assistants are trained to deliver 15-minute sessions to small groups of pupils four times per week, with lessons designed around texts deemed suitable for early readers, and teaching focused on phonics, reading fluency and comprehension.

Two different versions of the programme will be assessed, with the first seeing pupils using an online platform to cover the content, while the second will be offline-only and will instead utilise resources such as magnetic letters and cards.

An EEF grant of £658,255 has been allocated to allow the programme to be tested in 200 English primary schools, with 9,000 Year 1 pupils set to be involved. The York Trials Unit will oversee the study, and will be looking to determine whether this intervention can produce positive results comparable to those from an earlier, smaller-scale study.

In this preliminary trial, both versions of Abracadabra were shown to have a positive impact on pupils' literacy results, although students taking part in the offline intervention achieved slightly more progress than those who used the online platform. Moreover, the impact for children eligible for free school meals and those with below-average pre-test outcomes was generally greater than average.

Coventry University and Nottingham Trent University are responsible for developing and leading the project, with an evaluation report scheduled to be published in autumn 2019.

List #1

Related posts

Exam season: A guide for teaching assistants and support staff

Teaser

Educators

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD05YY

Summary

Exams are one of the most stressful times in the academic year, and it isn’t only pupils who feel the pressure. For teaching assistants (TAs) and support staff, exam season brings new expectations

Teaser

Read more
Adam Davies

by

Adam Davies

Adam Davies

by

Adam Davies

Looking for a permanent teaching role?

Teaser

Educators

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD05YY

Summary

If you’re considering taking the next step in education, you’re not alone. More teachers and support staff are exploring permanent roles that offer stability, progression, and a sense of belonging

Teaser

Read more
Adam Davies

by

Adam Davies

Adam Davies

by

Adam Davies

TP 30 Years - Danielle

Teaser

People & Culture

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD05YY

Summary

As Teaching Personnel marks 30 years, Danielle shares her experience of building a career with the company over the past 11 years. She's completed an apprenticeship, managed a branch and w

Teaser

Read more
TP 30 Years - Patrick

Teaser

People & Culture

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD04YY

Summary

Patrick highlights a decade of his work as Teaching Personnel celebrates a milestone of 10 years.He's built relationships with schools and his own management style to successfully run a branch

Teaser

Read more
TP 30 Years - Hannah

Teaser

People & Culture

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD04YY

Summary

As Teaching Personnel celebrates 30 years, we hear from Senior Branch Manager, Hannah James, who reflects on her time with us these past 11 years.  The impact we have on our schools and educat

Teaser

Read more
TP 30 Years - Vicky

Teaser

People & Culture

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD04YY

Summary

As Teaching Personnel marks 30 years, Vicky shares her experience of building a career with the company over the past 11 years.She joined as a trainee recruitment consultant and has become an

Teaser

Read more
TP 30 Years - Rebecca

Teaser

People & Culture

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD04YY

Summary

As we celebrate 30 years of making difference, get to know Rebecca who has worked at Teaching Personnel for nearly a decade. Being able to support schools and help place the right educators

Teaser

Read more
TP 30 Years - Jenny

Teaser

People & Culture

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD04YY

Summary

As Teaching Personnel celebrates its 30-year anniversary, Jenny reflects on a decade of working at Teaching Personnel.From starting as a teaching assistant to overseeing multiple branches, her

Teaser

Read more
Future Teachers Programme - Gemma's Story

Teaser

Educators

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD04YY

Summary

Gemma joined the Future Teachers Programme shortly after graduating. Now in a permanent teaching position, she reflects on how the programme shaped her classroom experience and supp

Teaser

Read more
Future Teachers Programme - Ben Whittle

Teaser

People & Culture

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD04YY

Summary

Discover Ben Whittle’s role and find out about his impact within the Future Teachers Programme Read more How long have you been with Teaching Personnel and where are

Teaser

Read more
company logo
Search