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Manchester Enterprise Academy has used FFT Reciprocal Reading as a discreet intervention for 18 months. However, the strategies have been shared more broadly with staff and students for whole-school classroom teaching over the past two years. 

The programme started with Year 7 students identified through diagnostic testing as struggling with comprehension. It quickly expanded to include Years 8 and 9. Additionally, Reciprocal Reading was adapted for Year 11 students to support exam preparation, focusing initially on the Language Paper 1 reading section. 

Intervention groups are small, capped at six pupils, with sessions lasting one hour, weekly, over 7–8 weeks. The school places great emphasis on selecting engaging, complete texts suitable for each year group, which is crucial for maintaining student motivation, especially for those less inclined to enjoy reading. 

Initially, the school trialled two 30-minute sessions per week but found this unsuitable for their setting. Instead, they adopted a one-hour weekly session model over 7–8 weeks. Dedicated, trained staff run these sessions consistently throughout the school week. 

All staff delivering the programme have completed FFT Reciprocal Reading Day 1 and Day 2 training, with Day 2 being particularly impactful in refining lesson delivery. New staff are trained internally by existing experts, observe live sessions, and then complete FFT Day 1 training. The school has benefited from an FFT coaching visit, which provided valuable support, reflective feedback, and guidance for further developing practice. 

Text recommendations from FFT have been especially useful. The coaching day and training sessions have been highly supportive for staff development. Ongoing support from the FFT team has played a key role in successfully embedding the programme.