School Spotlight – Herne Junior School

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

When I came into the school and interviewed it was already in place. I had never come across it before and the school were keen to continue using it. It was a big learning curve for me to look into it and at the time, it was being used as an early morning intervention with Year 4 and Year 5.

I started in 2019 and, when COVID hit, I used that time to really look into depth at Lexia and that’s when I found that all the doors opened. I started to really grasp how it worked and where we could go with it.

As the children were working at home, I started up by contacting parents to try to encourage them to continue on Lexia at home every week. I emailed every child via their parents to let them know that I was checking up on their success, their minutes, completed units and if there was anything they were struggling with. I could email home the Skills Builders or Lessons and certificates. I would also put positive images and gifs in the emails. It really inspired the children and I could see when I looked back on their progress how much more they had done because they knew I was monitoring it. That was how I first really hit Lexia.

From then on, as we gradually came back into school, my role was to deliver it to Year 4 -6 for 2-3 mornings a week each. Once I started that, I noticed that not completing Lexia every day was having an impact on their learning. I suggested instead that we have each year group complete Lexia Monday to Friday morning for a half term each. The children would come in early and we would provide a breakfast snack and complete some units on Lexia. I found it worked well to celebrate the units they were completing rather than their minutes. It would blow their minds finding out just how many units they were able to achieve!

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

I originally came from an infant’s school so I’ve never really come across a reading program like Lexia. Obviously, they do phonics in Key Stage 1 but Lexia is the complete package that breaks everything down. I often find that when they do their Auto Placement test, some of then can find their starting level fairly easy but there are some clear gaps that need to be plugged. I have found in the past that if those little gaps aren’t plugged, they can become wider, immeasurable gaps by the time they get to upper Key Stage 2. I feel that when they do Lexia in their first half term, they are plugging the gaps but they are also gaining confidence because they are achieving and setting themselves up to succeed. I think that is really important.

I think Lexia is just the whole package. I find the Skill Builders helpful too. I had a child that I was working with this morning who was struggling with High Frequency Words, so I gave them the Skill Builder to do at the start of the session as a warm up. Once he returned to the program, he was no longer struggling and he was able to move on.

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.

Each term we use an assessment tool that tests the children’s reading ages. We have a cut off for each year group and any children that are below that reading age will be identified as needing Lexia.

Most children are able to attend the early morning sessions, but for the children that can’t we still give them Lexia but I will work with the class teacher to fit it around their day in class. I will still monitor them in the same way and pop into class or leave them a little note letting them know that they are doing really well and acknowledging the units they have completed. It really helps!

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

They are very keen to share their progress. In the past, I felt that some children were just sitting there struggling and not asking for help. But now, they ask for help and there is more positivity. They are keen to share their achievements with teachers and I will go into their classrooms to present their certificates and prizes, so that success is shared in the classroom. The other children notice and you can see them physically lift out of their chair because the feel so proud of their achievements.

We’ve got 2 children in particular this term who have moved up 3 levels and one has done 1119 minutes and the other one has done 936 minutes. It blows me and my colleague away! It is just an absolute joy to see their faces and their determination. Whereas before when they were only accessing it for 2 or 3 days, the continuity wasn’t there. I feel now we’ve got it right for us here at Herne and our children. We are definitely on a journey, a positive learning journey for them.

It’s a team effort, really. It’s not a stand-alone thing and we are not just on our own. It’s shared with the whole school, and everybody knows about it.

It was important that we got the teachers feedback when we increased the Lexia time and they were behind it 100%. They said that they could see that improvement and they were keen to maintain it. I know that the teachers next half term will do everything they can to ensure the children continue to get access to Lexia once they finish with me. Any spare time in class will be used and we send letters home, reminding them how to access it at home.

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

We had one young lady who came in very quiet. She needed a big boost of self-esteem. Now she bounds in every day. She has completed 1119 minutes on Lexia and has gone up 3 levels. She was recently off school for over a week due to illness and she was still working from home. When she came in this morning I was able to say; “Even though you’ve been poorly and its great to have you back, you have been working at home and that is impressive!” I love the way that no matter where I am and I can check at any time.

This is the first term she’s done Lexia, so it has been all new to her and her family, but they have really taken it on board. It’s nice that the family have encouraged her as well. It’s been a team effort to encourage and promote her reading.

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

We celebrate success every day! Both me and my colleague work together to bring humour and 100% positivity into the sessions. We encourage them to celebrate each other’s successes, so they all clap for each other and say well done when they reach the next level. They share it and we make it a total team effort. They really respond to it.

Any little thing that I can think off, I will do. I might print some stickers out that say ‘Ask me why Mrs Tandy gave me a house point.’ So that they can say ‘because I did so many units in Lexia today’.

Next Friday, I have a rewards session for them so I have some sensory play with some slime and bouncy balls. Before they log on they will have a quick sensory play session and they will go and do their Lexia.

At the end of this term, they will make a Christmas tree decoration that they can take home and share with family. It’s about showing them that there is a reward for their hard work. I think that is really important for them to feel that they are recognised.

I also do headteacher certificate so if they really blow me away, at the end of term, I will give them a big certificate and they will go and share it with the Head, the Deputy or the Assistant Head as well because it’s important to share that success around the school.

It has got to be 100% positivity. I can’t let it drop. I want the sessions to be positive, energetic and enthusiastic all the time. It really sets them up for the day as well. They have got to leave the session in a positive frame of mind. If we notice that they are not feeling like they have achieved, we will sit with them and talk it through. Sometimes I will make visual prompts for anything they struggle to remember, like consonants and vowels. That way they can take it back and use it in class and transfer those skills.

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

What I find interesting is all the detailed reports that you can get. I put it in date order and find the reports that can be adjusted to see the date, area of learning, the rate at which they are learning, their accuracy and whether they need support. I find it all really, really helpful. I love the way that no matter where I am, and I can check at any time. It’s an absolute bonus, really.

Before everyone comes in, I look at all the reports and check their attendance and how their minutes are going. If they are dipping, I can find ways to address it and speak to the children. Recently I had one child who did their auto placement activity and was placed lower than I was expecting. I let her work through and monitored her using the reports but found that she was zooming through. Using the data we decided together that, actually, should we try the auto placement test again? She improved and came back to it at a better level for her. Therefore, she’s going to start her Lexia journey much more confidently feeling like she is placed where she needs to be.

The teachers use the reports for parents’ evenings too. I will print out the parent reports so they can share it with the parents as well.

We are now trying to implement training for our Learning Support Assistants to help them understand it a little bit more and to encourage them to have a look because it is available to all the staff.

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

Give yourself the time to really look at the program and how it works. If you know a school that is already using it or if you’ve been recommended it by another school, it’s good to have a look at the results they have had. Before you start, it’s good to start off with a small group of children or even create a test account for yourself so you can really discover what is available on Lexia because it is so vast and varied. Giving yourself that time is important. You need that personal input time to understand the content and be able to deliver it properly to promote confidence and that positive learning experience.

I felt that my Annual Review with LexiaUK was really helpful as well. It’s something that I hadn’t engaged in before. I had had the initial training, but I found the chat about our Implementation plan really helpful to enable me to target. My adviser emailed me a copy that I was able to take to my review with SLT and use to create goals for my personal achievement.

What feedback have you had from your Lexia pupils?

They absolutely love it! I have just sent letters out to Year 5 who will be starting Lexia next half term. I think they got a bit confused because they came in early this week ready for their breakfast snack, They couldn’t wait to get started! I’ve given them their details and completed auto placement with them already so they can do it in class if there is time.

We’ve just stopped one 7-week block of Lexia with one group, and they are constantly asking ‘when are we coming back?’ Even if they are coming in early and the weather isn’t so great, they still come in with enthusiasm and just crack on. There is no hesitation. I have to be there at the door before the Lexia time starts because I know they are going to be early!

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

I think changing the timetable to it being a daily program has made a massive difference because of the continuity. When they finish in the morning, they know where they are up to when they come back the next day.

I also make sure to keep an eye on the progress bars in the program. They have to complete the green line before they log off so they keep their progress. It’s a good way to end the session too because they have ended on a positive and they can come back the next day knowing exactly where they are up to and apply learning from the day before. I’m always talking about the green line and use it to encourage them to keep going. They pick up on everything that you say so it has to be positive!