FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad

The leading primary literacy tutoring programme

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A tutoring programme which improves reading skills for pupils in Years 1 to 6

Our approach

We believe that tutoring is not just about getting pupils up to speed, but building the foundations they need for continued success once the sessions have ended.

That's why our programme combines face-to-face tutoring, fun game-based activities, and simple online assessment to ensure that pupils are not just ticking boxes, but fully engaged readers.

Evidence
Read about the benefits in the Data Impact Report
Impact report
Case study
How Discovery Primary Academy has been using Tutoring with the Lightning Squad
Case study
Independently reviewed
Independent review published in Teach Primary magazine
Read the review
Teach Primary Awards FinalistNational Tutoring ProgrammeBett Awards 2023 Finalist logo

Take a look

Welcome to FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad

Pupils learn in small groups with a tutor to improve reading skills as they work through 100 stories
Move left and right to preview all of the activities!
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Power Reader

Pupils practice reading stories together to improve reading fluency
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Letter Launch

Improve both phonic and phonemic awareness, and the sounds in new words
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Word Blender

Pupils learn to read new words for each of the 100 stories
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Super Speller

Pupils practice spelling new words with their tutor
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Word Quest

Pupils will learn new vocabulary and work on cloze activities and definitions
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Story Quest

At the end of each story, pupils will demonstrate what they’ve learnt by reading a story and answering comprehension questions
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    About FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad

    FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad is a reading tutoring programme where pupils work in small groups with a tutor to improve their reading skills. The tutoring is a blended approach with face-to-face tutoring supported by an online tutoring platform. The tutoring activities are designed and structured to improve reading skills, fluency, comprehension, spelling and phonics. Pupils work through 100 specially written, engaging and illustrated stories. 

    Pupils will work with a tutor for six weeks to catch-up their reading skills, with daily 30-minute tutoring sessions in school. Research has demonstrated that pupils using Tutoring with the Lightning Squad make learning gains of between 3 and 5 months in reading attainment.

    The Education Endowment Foundation cites tutoring as one of the most effective ways to bridge attainment gaps. Research shows that just 30 minutes of reading a day for six weeks can have a significant impact on reading fluency. Pairing frequent reading practice with tailored tutoring support will ensure that all pupils, regardless of background, can become the confident, fluent readers they deserve to be.

    From reading experts

    We have committed all our expertise into developing an evidence-based reading tutoring programme you can trust.

    Implement in as little as three weeks

    FFT understands the pressures schools face to get pupils up to speed, as well as the strains on staff time.

    No ticking boxes

    Tutoring is not just about getting pupils up-to-speed, but building the foundations they need for continued success once the sessions have ended.

    You're in control

    Select from our qualified teachers with extensive primary experience or a trusted teacher nominated by your school.

    Reports throughout the programme

    Detailed online reports let you monitor the real-time progress of your pupils every step of the way.

    Recently added

    New KS2 content, designed to effectively support pupils in developing and securing their reading skills as they progress through KS2. It includes new, engaging fiction and non-fiction texts linked to National Curriculum (NC) topics with activity content linked to NC objectives and expectations.

    Find out more at one of our live online events

    Want to find out more about FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad? Join us at one of our school workshop events.

    Assessment and feedback

    Includes Reading Assessment Programme

    All pupils take a short online reading assessment at the start of the tutoring programme to help the tutor and class teacher decide which groups of pupils should work together and at what point in the programme they should start.

    Regular tutor checks are built into the tutoring programme. Pupils complete a set of reading activities with their tutor related to what they have been learning. The tutor will then decide whether pupils are ready to move on to the next story in the tutoring programme.

    Reading Assessment Programme

    Tracking and reporting

    We provide online reports for tutors, teachers and school leaders which monitor pupils’ progress and reading attainment.

    The reports include the new words learnt, reading age, reading fluency and a measure of reading progress.

    FFT’s tutoring reports will help schools to monitor the impact of the tutoring on pupils’ reading skills and development.

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    Tutoring with the Lightning Squad

    Approved Tuition Partner

    FFT is one of the largest tutoring providers, working with over 1000 primary schools and delivering tuition to over 60,000 pupils.

    Schools can use their school tutoring funding to access FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad with an FFT tutor, in school tutor or an academic mentor. To find out more about how you can use your school tutoring funding join one of our upcoming webinars.

    Who can deliver the tutoring?

    FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad can be delivered using an FFT tutor or your existing school staff, including an academic mentor.

    If you would like to use an FFT tutor, FFT will recruit the tutor for your school. Our tutors will be qualified teachers with experience of working with primary school pupils.

    We will find the right tutor for your school with the tutor recruitment process including full background and employment checks, interviews, references and DBS clearance.

    FFT’s tutor will work full-time as part of your school’s staff team for six weeks. The tutor will work with 20 to 60 pupils, delivering 10 tutoring sessions each day in groups of 2 to 6 pupils at a time (30 minutes per session).

    From

    £25 per pupil

    using your school’s DfE tutoring funding and an in-school tutor

    15 hours’ tutoring

    over 6 weeks with daily 30-minute tutoring sessions

    From

    £125 per pupil

    with an FFT tutor to deliver the tutoring in your school

    How much does the tutoring cost?

    Schools access FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad as an annual subscription service with the tutoring costing from £25 per pupil for the school.

    Schools can use their tutoring funding to purchase the platform and deliver tutoring with their own in-school tutors or academic mentor. As part of the subscription service schools get a copy of printed resources which includes a set of stories as well as online training and support.

    We can also provide an FFT tutor to deliver the tutoring in your school. The FFT tutor will deliver 15 hours of tutoring for each pupil through daily 30-minute tutoring sessions over six weeks. This costs from £125 per pupil for the school for tutoring which will be delivered in small groups for between 20 and 60 pupils over the six weeks.

    Once you have decided how many pupils you would like to register for the tutoring, we will discuss with you how the pupils will be grouped.

    Annual subscription for FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad

    Size of schoolPrice
    Half form entry£500
    1 form entry£900
    2 form entry£1,400
    3 form entry£1,800
    FFT Tutor for six weeks to deliver tutoring to 20 to 60 pupils£7,500

    FAQs

    We've answered some common questions about FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad. If your question is not answered, please get in touch.

    Tutoring

    Start using Tutoring with the Lightning Squad today

    Fill in the form to find out more or get started

    Alternatively you can phone us on 01446 776262 to talk about how the tutoring could work for your school.
    About you
    About your school


    Interested in joining as a tutor?

    Please register your interest with our recruitment partner, Operam Education Group.

    Email Operam

    What schools are saying

    Children love it

    I tutor FFTs Tutoring with Lightning Squad. The power reader activity really supports the rereading opportunity to develop fluency. Children love it and it allows children to reread familiar texts adding confidence and comprehension.

    Julie Chantrey

    Tutor, Bridge Junior School

    Tutor is fantastic with the children

    It has been a real pleasure having Moira working with us and we will miss her a great deal. She is fantastic with the children and they have thoroughly enjoyed their time with her.

    Emilie Johansson

    Selwyn Primary School

    Significant impact

    The programme has proved to have had a significant impact on our most vulnerable readers so we are really pleased to be able to continue with it.

    Jo Jones

    Deputy Headteacher, Dovedale Community Primary School

    Our children have made real gains

    Children who have tried every intervention going are finally making progress and becoming 'readers'. I will certainly pass on the training.

    Claire du Toit

    Deputy Headteacher, Bellfield Junior School

    Adds confidence and comprehension

    The Power Reader activity really supports the rereading opportunity to develop fluency. Children love it and it allows children to reread familiar texts adding confidence and comprehension.

    Julie Chantrey

    Tutor, Bridge Junior School

      Our partners

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      Success for All (UK) joined with FFT in September 2021. FFT is a non-profit organisation with 20 years’ experience in supporting schools with literacy and improving educational outcomes. We believe that success in life is built on a solid foundation of learning. A first critical step is to learn how to read. From our research we know that children who cannot read at the expected standard by the end of Year 2 have a much lower chance of achieving a Grade 4 or above in GCSE English. Our mission is to give all children a solid, full start to literacy and learning to read.

      Our Success for All programmes provide schools with evidence-based literacy programmes which are fully aligned to the National Curriculum and help schools to teach English from Reception to the end of Key Stage 3. Our literacy programmes have been proven to be effective in a wide range of schools, including those schools with a high proportion of disadvantaged children.

      Learn more
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      Operam is an agglomeration of four highly respected teacher and school workforce recruitment organisations (Provide Education, The Education Specialists, Teachers UK and Key Stage Teacher Supply). They have 20 years’ experience of understanding what schools need and how best to support them, providing around 150,000 teaching days to schools each year.  

      Learn more