FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad
The leading reading catch-up programme
Play the introduction
Benefits for schools taking part in the trial
Access to FFT’s reading catch-up which has the potential to improve reading outcomes and enjoyment for reading.
2
years
extra access
How the trial works & pricing
Trial start
April 2025
Only
£250
for training and resources. Usual price £1400. Remainder subsidised by EEF.
Trial end
June 2026
Schools receive
£800
at the end of the research period, to recognise their work for the evaluation.
About the trial
A randomised control trial to measure the impact on Years 3 and 4.
All schools will have the opportunity to deliver the intervention. The intervention group will be randomly allocated to either Year 3 or Year 4; the other year group will be the control group.
Process
Pupil selection will begin in the summer term 2025 with assessments and training taking place in the autumn term 2025/26.
Two members of staff will run intervention groups with one school coordinator to oversee the delivery in school.
Duration
The intervention will run for 16+ weeks with four or five 30-minute sessions per week.
After the trial
At the end of the research period, schools receive £800 to recognise their work for the evaluation.
Schools can also access Tutoring with the Lightning Squad for two additional years after the evaluation.
About Tutoring with the Lightning Squad
A keep-up and catch-up programme which improves reading skills for pupils in Years 1 to 6
Our approach
We believe that every child has the potential to be a reader and that catch-up support for pupils should begin as soon as possible to ensure the educational achievement gap is closed.
Tutoring with the Lightning Squad is not just about getting pupils to age-related expectations, but building the foundations they need for continued success once the sessions have ended.
Combined catch-up
That's why our programme is a blended approach, with face-to-face tutoring supported by an online platform and engaging, evidence-based activities to ensure that pupils are not just ticking boxes, but fully engaged readers.
Evidence
Case study
Independently reviewed
Take a look
Welcome to FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad
Power Reader
Letter Launch
Word Blender
Super Speller
Word Quest
Story Quest
How it works
Approach
Gains
Evidence
The Education Endowment Foundation cites tutoring as one of the most effective ways to bridge attainment gaps.
From reading experts
Implement in as little as three weeks from sign-up
No ticking boxes
You're in control
Reports throughout the programme
Recently added
Find out more about the trial
Also included
Reading Assessment Programme
FFT's Reading Assessment Programme is a simple and effective online assessment tool designed to assess pupils on their GPC accuracy, decoding accuracy and fluency levels (words correct per minute).
Words correct per minute outcomes inform standardised scores, reading attainment levels and reading fluency ages for Year 1 to Year 6 pupils. For Reception pupils, standardised scores and reading attainment levels are provided based on decoding outcomes.
Instantly produced reports allow schools to analyse data at whole school, class, group or individual pupil level. Informs next steps, whether through whole-class teaching or keep-up/catch-up intervention with Tutoring with the Lightning Squad.
Tracking and reporting
We provide online reports for teachers and school leaders which monitor pupils’ progress and reading attainment.
The reports include: reading progress, reading fluency age, areas of difficulty, areas of success and an analysis of intervention sessions received.
These informative reports will help schools to monitor the impact of the programme on pupils’ reading skills and development.
Used by schools nationally
FFT's Tutoring with the Lightning Squad was an approved Tuition Partner by the National Tutoring Programme. This accreditation reflects our commitment to providing high-quality reading tutoring for primary school pupils in all regions in England.
To find out more about how your school can benefit, join one of our upcoming webinars.
FAQs
Get started with Tutoring with the Lightning Squad today
Fill in the form to find out more or apply to join the trial
Our partners
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.
