HFL’s Penny Slater, Education Development and Partnership Lead and Kathy Roe, Reading Fluency Project Leader, recently took part in an exciting podcast series dedicated to highlighting the successes of the Priority Literacy initiative which shares valuable insights, and provides practical advice on how to implement their approaches in schools.
They discussed Penny’s favourite topic: supporting struggling readers and she and Kathy were proud to have played a small part in the success of the Priority Literacy Project; through schools participating in the HFL Reading Fluency Project.
We can’t wait to listen to the full podcast series that's coming soon and thank Carl Pattison, English Hub Strategic Lead at Flying High for being the perfect host.
The Priority Literacy group works in partnership with the Priority Area Local Partnership Boards in Derby and Nottingham and the Department for Education is funding a programme of literacy support to improve English results at KS2 and KS4.
Led by a consortium of local, trusted providers, the Priority Literacy programme provides evidence-based activities to address the priorities identified by the Local Partnership Boards. In Derby, the Board has prioritised KS2 literacy and KS3/4 reading and writing. In Nottingham, the Board has prioritised cross-phase reading and KS2 writing.
All state-funded primary, secondary and special/alternative provision schools within the Derby and Nottingham Local Authority areas are eligible for support through this programme. The level of involvement will vary, dependent on school need.
Persistent and severe absence is a growing concern in UK secondary schools. Recent Department for Education (DfE) data shows that severe absence rates have significantly increased since 2018/19, with 3.5% of secondary students now classified as severely absent. Persistent absence, although slightly improved, remains high at 22.7%.
Paul Jenkins, our Head of Secondary Curriculum Services, recently contributed to SecEd magazine, exploring practical strategies for improving student attendance through effective parental engagement.
To read the full article and learn more about how parental engagement can tackle school absence effectively, visit SecEd's website:
If you'd like more advice from school leaders about what worked and what didn't in their context, our attendance box set covers topics from working with families and staff to building a school culture where school is unmissable.
We are delighted to share issue 4 of our Term Times magazine with you this spring. Printed copies are making their way to schools across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and beyond (and will be available at all in person events or from your SEA) and our email arrives in inboxes across the country this week.
Packed full of interesting articles including a welcome from our CEO Carole Bennett, an introduction to the EEF trial of our Making Fluent and Flexible Calculators programme from Paul Jenkins, Head of Secondary Curriculum Services and a look at the Great Schools Framework with Jeremy Loukes, Director of Education Services to name but a few.
We hope you find the articles useful and the carefully curated selection of training, events and our contacts poster of interest.
Please leave copies in your staffrooms or share the browser link to the email and the downloadable PDF with your colleagues and Governors. We are committed to providing a high-quality service and working in an open and accountable way. If you have any feedback, queries or require any support with anything covered in Term Times please call us on 01438 544464 or email info@hfleducation.org
Sign up to receive the next edition direct to your inbox and see all of our available newsletters.
As the English leader in a primary school, few things excite me more than the arrival of a fresh batch of new books. Adding the school stamp and handing them over to each teacher, knowing the joy and learning they’ll inspire, feels like giving a truly meaningful gift. This feeling is even more rewarding when the books are as diverse, high-quality, and thoughtfully chosen as those from the English team at HFL Education – books referred to in ESSENTIALWRITING, the writing scheme we introduced this year.
Top 5 wins:
Thought provoking and attention-grabbing texts
CPD incorporated
Reduced workload
Models for writing included
Pupils writing for a clear and meaningful purpose
For us, one of the most exciting and welcome aspects of ESSENTIALWRITING is the increased focus on representation and diversity in the carefully selected texts. These books do more than teach English. Not only do they serve as high-quality models of language and imagery, but they also broaden our pupils' understanding of the world, immersing them in diverse settings and perspectives through a wide range of characters and experiences. This deep engagement becomes the foundation for great writing, helping children develop an authentic voice as they truly connect with the texts. We want our pupils to encounter role models and protagonists they can relate to; stories that serve as both mirrors reflecting their own experiences, and windows into different perspectives. The literature chosen within ESSENTIALWRITING achieves this beautifully, at the same time as providing excellent models for the craft of writing that everyone can access.
I like the quality choice of texts and the creative/immersive tasks e.g. pupils drawing the city in The Promise as I read the book.
Year 5 teacher
Many of the books are thoughtfully linked to key areas of the curriculum. For example, in Year 4, the texts India, Incredible India and Africa, Amazing Africa explore the rich and diverse cultures of India and various countries across Africa, challenging common stereotypes about these vast and varied continents. These are studied alongside Take a Bite, a delightful book that delves into food, recipes, and cultural traditions from 26 different countries, offering pupils an engaging and global perspective. Other books link to map reading, historical figures and growing plants, for example.
As subject leader, I am grateful for the subject knowledge teachers are gaining from using ESSENTIALWRITING. Teachers at Highover, both new to the profession and experienced, have found that using the planning is CPD in itself. I booked my team onto the ESSENTIALWRITING webinars so I could ensure consistency of approach across classrooms which aids progression and transition across year groups.
The unit plans are detailed and clear which reduces workload for our teachers at Highover. They take the teacher through steps (rather than lessons) which build towards a final piece of writing with a clear purpose, for example to entertain or to inform. The steps ensure that teachers can move at their pupils’ pace, which removes the temptation to plough on without ensuring depth of understanding or stopping for consolidation as required.
‘Make sure that the curriculum clearly identifies the foundational knowledge and skills that children will need for later learning’ and that we must ‘give children sufficient high-quality opportunities to practise using foundational knowledge and skills so that they become fluent.’
Another particularly popular aspect for our team is the annotated written models which teachers can use when modelling writing, as well as the ‘think out loud’ bubbles which help you model the writing thought process.
The shared writing models are a massive time saver when supporting the class.
Year 5 teacher
I like the teacher models which help to make it really clear what the intended outcome is. I also like the ideas the plans give to suit a range of learners. I like that the purpose of the writing is really clear and there is an 'end goal' that we're working towards e.g. writing a poem to share with younger children. I like that there are no slides - that encourages shared writing with the children rather than using slides to teach from.
Year 1 teacher
I like that it includes models as writing to demo for the children. I find this particularly helpful when assisting colleagues with expectations of each step.
Year 3 teacher
HFL Education has designed the plans with a focus on writing for a purpose such as ‘to persuade’ or ‘to entertain’. This means our children are thinking more about the effect they want to have on their audience and less about features of a specific genre which can often lead to tick-lists of success criteria. Persuasive speeches and letters always get the children fired up to write with a great sense of purpose and authority.
For example, the Year 6 unit which uses the text Talking History, inspires children to write a speech about something they are passionate about, from banning social media to reducing traffic on the roads. Our Year 6 pupils performed their speeches as part of a BBC-television-show-inspired Room 101 game show with their parents as the audience. A judge decided which speech was the most persuasive and therefore what would be sent to Room 101. (In this case, macaroni cheese won against spiders, traffic jams and loud noises!)
In Year 3, Stella and the Seagull evokes children’s understanding of the impact of plastic waste and their passion to do something about the problem. Our Year 3 pupils wrote and sent letters to the prime minister to explain the problem and implore them to make changes. With texts as engaging as this, pupils realise that the purpose of their writing is to share their voice - we can teach language choices that are linked to their own interests.
It has impacted children’s desire to write for pleasure. Where the units focus on one genre at a time, I've noticed this has supported the children's confidence to write their own stories, recipes etc in the writing area.
Year 1 teacher.
At Highover, we moved away from providing a ‘list’ of success criteria for writing a while ago. I We found the approach to be very limiting. It takes away the creativity, encouraging a ‘writing by numbers’ approach. We were inspired by James Durran’s ‘boxed’ success criteria. As soon as we started using these, we found it had an impact on the quality of what pupils produced. The ‘boxed’ layout helped children focus on the intended impact on the reader and gave them space to collect ideas and examples to include in their writing. ESSENTIALWRITING plans have developed this idea further by creating ‘pyramid’ criteria which we are now using in all year groups. Here is an example from the Year 6 narrative unit Night of the Gargoyles:
We view oracy as a key skill for our pupils. At Highover, we believe good talkers make good writers. We want our pupils to be confident to go out into the wider world and present their ideas and articulate their opinions confidently. The ESSENTIALWRITING text choices are excellent prompts for oracy discussions around topics ranging from friendship, gender stereotyping, feeling left out, discrimination and environmental changes to the views inspired by famous historical figures such as Martin Luther King and Greta Thunberg. Children find these topics relevant and relatable and can’t help but become immersed in discussions based on them. Thankfully, ESSENTIALWRITING incorporates oracy into the planning so that we can weave it naturally into the writing process for each unit. This leads to writers who are engaged and motivated.
The outcomes were definitely better than they had been in previous years.
Year 6 teacher
With thanks to Sophie Driver and her colleagues and pupils at Highover JMI School in Hitchin for so generously sharing their reflections on the implementation of ESSENTIALWRITING in their school this year. How wonderful to see such brilliant writing! Keep an eye out in the summer term for part 2 of this blog, where Sophie dives into the school’s writing for pleasure journey.
If you are interested in finding out more about ESSENTIALWRITING – and how you can develop both children’s and teachers’ knowledge, motivation and confidence in the craft of writing - then do read more.
ESSENTIALWRITING launched as an ambitious and progressive writing curriculum for years 1-6, and now we are extending the programme to include Early Years.
The programme has been developed collaboratively by our Early Years and English teams and focuses on child development, prioritising communication, language and physical development before introducing more complex transcriptional skills.
The age 3-4 plans will be available to purchase for nursery classes, PVIs and Childminders for just £49 + VAT per year.
The Reception plans will be FREE to access for existing ESSENTIALWRITING subscribers and also available to purchase as a standalone subscription.
Find out more by joining our free information webinar on Tuesday 6th May 2025. Sign up to the via the HFL Hub today.
What is attainment? And what is the disadvantage gap?
Disadvantaged pupils are those who face barriers to learning due to socioeconomic factors, such as eligibility for free school meals. Attainment refers to the academic achievement of pupils, typically measured through standardised tests and assessments.
The attainment gap is the disparity in academic performance between disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers. Closing this gap is crucial to ensure all children have equal opportunities to succeed and reach their potential.
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) recommends that 50% of pupil premium funding be spent on high-quality teaching, as this is one of the most effective ways to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and close the attainment gap.
This blog will explore practical strategies to underpin high-quality mathematics teaching to close the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils.
The inspiration for this blog comes from a ‘Leading Primary Maths’ webinar during which Kathryn Boulder, deputy headteacher, maths subject leader, and Year 6 teacher at Hobletts Manor Junior School in Hemel Hempstead, shared her experience of driving improvements in maths across her school. Her passion, honesty, and practical advice resonated with maths subject leaders, and the highlights are captured here.
School context:
Hobletts Manor Junior School is based in Hemel Hempstead.
26.7% of the school’s pupils are eligible for free school meals (December 2024).
In 2024, 89% of pupils met the expected standard in maths at the end of Key Stage 2, above the national average of 73%.
Almost a third of Year 6 pupils (31%) reached the higher standard in maths, compared to the national average of 24%.
Kathryn shared that it’s been a “very long journey” to achieve their current standing and reflects:
It's not just about your SATs results percentage or where you come in the league table. It is about giving your children a really good start in life so they go to secondary school knowing they can do it.
She added that some Year 6 pupils are motivated by seeing that many concepts covered at the end of Key Stage 2 relate directly or indirectly to content on GCSE papers.
Four practical strategies to close the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils.
1. Sky high expectations for all: changing mindsets
What’s worked well in our school is having high expectations for all.
Earlier in my career, there was a lot of focus on looking at pupils’ Key Stage 1 outcomes to see where you needed to get them.
If they came in (to Key Stage 2) at ‘working towards’ then left at ‘working towards’, that was OK.
That approach has completely changed, and I now believe that everyone in my class can do everything if you teach it in the right way.
Subject leaders who listened to Kathryn talk commented on her passion and determination, epitomised by the above quote.
We know that teaching different pupils with different starting points, while aiming to secure the same learning objective, can be challenging. The example below exemplifies the assertion that ‘Differentiating makes it easier; scaffolding makes it easier to do’. When designing ‘Rehearsal and Reasoning’ sheets, which comprise one element of ESSENTIALMATHS, we kept this in mind to support teachers in making this a reality and to help close the attainment gap.
Some pupils may benefit from beginning at the start where the task is to match the calculations to the correct models. Others may benefit from starting with the calculations that have a fully drawn pictorial model and progress through to those that have blank frames provided.
Some pupils may be directed straight to the final two calculations and be asked to draw a pictorial model to demonstrate their full understanding before progressing to further Apply and Explore tasks beyond this page.
A strong focus on building on existing learning was recognised in Hobletts Manor Junior School’s most recent inspection report:
Pupils remember what they have learned and use this effectively when tackling new concepts. This is particularly true in mathematics, which is a strength in the school. In Year 5, for example, pupils use their knowledge of multiplication facts to find percentages of numbers.
Ofsted report, 2023
Kathryn explained how the school has worked on identifying the correct starting point for each maths lesson with the aim of engaging all pupils and closing the attainment gap:
Across the school, we now have quite a rigid lesson structure.
Everyone starts with a starter; something you've already taught, and you want to check pupils still remember. Then we introduce new learning and see how far they can go.
You'll be amazed, if you start at the right point and engage them well enough, how well pupils can do.
How do you plan specific opportunities to make connections to previous learning and check on prerequisite knowledge?
When writing this Year 3 ESSENTIALMATHS sequence, I included this visual as a stimulus for discussion before new learning was introduced.
Asking pupils to discuss what they notice provides teachers with an opportunity to listen to the language being used, assess pupil understanding, and identify any misconceptions. Use of varied representations checks pupils have experience of fractions beyond simply ‘cutting up cakes or pizzas’.
If children are linking 2/3 with the 2 red dots and 3 yellow, this provides a starting point for new teaching.
3. Same day intervention: ‘nobody goes home confused’
One of the most impactful parts of the session was Kathryn’s description of their determination to ensure no one is left behind:
It’s our philosophy that nobody goes home confused about what happened in that day’s maths lesson
She then outlined how this is achieved:
At the end of each lesson, there's an assessment question where pupils work independently so you know whether they can do it or not. It’s been an on-going battle to get this implemented but we are there now! It is followed up the same day and it’s been fairly revolutionary!
Teachers don't need to formally mark everything in pupils’ books; they're just looking for that assessment question. At the end of the lesson, they have a pile of books for pupils who got it and (hopefully) just a small pile of books for those who haven't got it yet.
Intervention happens that day so those children go home feeling successful and start the next day’s lesson knowing that they can do it, they’re all sorted out and everything’s fine.
That has been really, really important, especially with our lower prior attainers.
For some pupils, their incorrect response may be a calculation error which they can self-correct. For others, teacher input may be required. If a large proportion of the class struggled with the assessment question, it may be followed up with the whole class.
From working in schools across Hertfordshire and beyond, we see many teachers using the destination questions contained within every ESSENTIALMATHS sequence to check for understanding and expose potential misconceptions and common errors, thereby helping to close the attainment gap.
4. Revisit, revisit, revisit: keeping core skills ticking over
Finally, Kathryn outlined how every class has a separate maths fluency session at least four afternoons per week. A core spine is followed with teachers choosing to focus on concepts relevant for their classes.
It's repeating things children have already done so you can check whether they still know how to do it.
It tends to be the same task every day but tweaked. So, at the start of the week, the children might need you to model and remind them. But by the end of the week, they can just do it, and that's everybody, if you repeat it often enough and make it accessible.
One of the top priorities across many of the schools I have been working with this academic year has been to strengthen fluency sessions. Here is an example of one of the hundreds of slides we are creating to support teachers with rehearsing, consolidating, and reactivating prior teaching:
*A full suite of new fluency slides is currently under development and will be available as part of the premium ESSENTIALMATHS subscription from July 2025.
As well as using fluency sessions, Kathryn outlined that targeted pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and those identified as ‘not on track’, receive additional short burst repetition. The school uses a “little and often” approach to keep skills and knowledge, such as times table facts, bubbling away.
Regular retrieval practice supports pupils to revisit and reactivate prior learning, which is essential for closing the attainment gap.
Year 6 ESSENTIALMATHS Rehearsal and reasoning sheet – retrieval question
This retrieval example, based on calculating volume, is nestled within a series of tasks focused on fractions.
‘Can I still….?’ tasks can be included as practice disruptors during pupil rehearsal or could be used at the beginning or end of the lesson. Concepts are chosen either from previous year group content or from a previous learning sequence taught within the academic year. Teachers can use these to assess how well pupils have remembered in the longer term.
With thanks to Kathryn for allowing me to summarise the key points from her inspiring talk to other primary maths subject leaders and exemplifying how we as a maths team have been supporting schools to implement these kinds of strategies to close the attainment gap.
Are you looking to enhance the way your primary school pupils learn and engage with mathematics? Our dedicated primary maths teaching and learning advisory team is here for you.
In our daily lives, we frequently use tools and devices to assist us and overcome barriers, often without a second thought. From something as simple as wearing glasses, to using smartphones for navigation or voice-activated assistants for quick answers, these tools or technologies provide support on-demand. We use them when we need to.
In the classroom, the use of assistive technology often has room for growth, but a wide and powerful range of tools may already be available to schools through the platforms and devices they already have access to.
This blog post will discuss some of these tools, the potential of ‘on-demand’ access by pupils and the work of one junior school in Hertfordshire, that is exploring this potential.
Tools that could be readily available in many classrooms
Schools might look at developing a comprehensive 'toolbox' of assistive technologies. This toolbox isn't a literal box, but rather a collection of tools and resources that can be provided to pupils to help them overcome barriers to learning. As mentioned above, schools and settings probably already have access to a wide range of tools, built into the platforms they already use.
The goal is to ensure that the hardest part of any lesson is the learning itself, not the accessing of that learning. Digital tools such as text-to-speech, dictation software, picture dictionaries, and checking/review tools can play a crucial role in supporting pupils with diverse needs. By having these technologies available to those that need them, when they need them, we can create an inclusive learning environment in which all pupils have the opportunity to succeed.
It’s likely that classrooms will have some level of access to one or more of these three well-known platforms; Microsoft Office (through Windows devices), Google Workspace for Education (through Chromebooks) or Apple iPadOS (through iPads). All three offer a broad range of accessibility features that are simple to implement.
Microsoft
Whether schools are using the online version of Office, or the fully installed desktop version, they will probably have access to Immersive Reader, which can completely transform a user’s access to digital text. Integrated into Microsoft products like Word or OneNote, it offers features such as text-to-speech, picture dictionary (online version only), translation into over 100 languages, and customisable reading settings. These features support diverse learning needs by providing accessible and inclusive reading experiences.
Microsoft Immersive Reader is available through Word, OneNote and other Microsoft Office apps.
Google
Chromebook users have access to tools like ChromeVox (a built-in screen reader), Select-to-Speak, Chrome Reading Mode, and various display adjustments such as high contrast mode (colour inversion), screen magnification, and large mouse cursors. The powerful Voice Typing feature in Google Docs enables the user to dictate their text. This can be done in many languages and then translated into English, if helpful. These tools collectively can contribute to an inclusive learning environment, enabling pupils with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments to access and engage with educational content effectively.
Voice Typing in Google Docs enables to user to dictate text in many different languages, which can then be automatically translated into English.
Apple
iPads also offer a wide range of accessibility features designed to support users with diverse needs. They include VoiceOver (a screen reader), magnifier, dictation and display adjustments like colour filters and text size changes. They also offer features such as Guided Access, which limits the device to a single app, and Speak Screen, which reads aloud the content on the screen. With the built-in cameras and the many, often free 3rd party apps designed to support learners with SEND, the iPad can be a highly effective and very portable assistive device.
The range of accessibility tools on an iPad makes it a powerful and portable assistive device.
Case study from a junior school using on-demand assistive technology
Beyond the assistive tools built into the commonly used digital platforms, there are also some incredibly powerful additional tools available that can further enhance the support provided by digital technology. One such example is the Read&Write toolbar from EverWay (formerly Texthelp). This is a tool being explored at Parkgate Junior School, in Watford, Hertfordshire.
The Read&Write toolbar hovers onscreen, over a page being accessed or worked on, offering text-to-speech, a picture dictionary, predictive text, ‘Check it’ (a function to check written work for spelling and grammatical errors), and much more.
Read&Write enables a wide range of accessibility tools, all available from one toolbar
Inspired by the research into an on-demand mindset at LEO Academy Trust, leaders at Parkgate Junior School aimed to improve outcomes for Year 5 pupils, especially those entitled to the Pupil Premium, by piloting the Read&Write toolbar. Staff received training from HFL Education advisers, and the toolbar was installed on Chromebooks for both pupils and teachers. By making the Chromebooks available in lessons, pupils could choose whether to use the assistive tools available to them – using them on-demand, when they needed them. Eight pupils, several of whom were entitled to the Pupil Premium, were trained as Digital Leaders. These pupils supported their peers in the classroom, with the use of the toolbar.
The programme led to improved attendance and behaviour, with a notable decrease in behaviour incidents. While the initial focus was on reading, the most significant improvements were seen in writing. Pupils produced longer, higher-quality pieces and engaged more in lessons. Pupils used tools such as Voice-Typing and text-to-speech to draft their work, and the ‘Check It’ function to review what they had written or dictated.
The use of Chromebooks also alleviated fears of making mistakes in books, as digital text can easily be amended or replaced.
Pupils reported increased independence and enthusiasm for using Chromebooks across subjects. Teachers and leaders observed a positive impact on self-esteem and engagement. The school plans to expand the programme and assess its long-term benefits, including potential support for parents.
Summary
Integrating assistive technology into the classroom can significantly enhance the learning experience for all pupils, and it doesn't need to be complicated or expensive – indeed it may already be built in.
By making the most of existing resources, such as the tools already available through Microsoft Office, Google Workspace for Education, and Apple iPadOS, schools can foster a more inclusive and supportive environment without incurring significant costs.
Schools might consider:
When adults are making adaptations to enable pupils to access learning, is assistive technology considered?
Are there pupils who might benefit from tools such as Voice-Typing or text-to-speech software to allow them to access learning more easily?
Is the barrier to great use of assistive technology in classrooms the confidence of the adults and the knowledge of what tools might already be readily available?
The success of the pilot program at Parkgate Junior School demonstrates the potential of on-demand assistive technology, with a notable impact on pupils’ engagement, behaviour, and achievement. With proper training and support, these technologies can be seamlessly integrated into everyday classroom activities, ensuring that every pupil has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.
If you would like to explore the points raised in this blog post further, please contact Chris Carter, HFL’s EdTech Adviser: chris.carter@hfleducation.org
