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FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad

Leading primary literacy catch-up programme

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Product Type
Software
Location
UK
Age Range
4-115-7
Platform
PCMacTabletInternet-based
Environment
Classroom

FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad is a reading catch-up programme where pupils work in small groups with a tutor to improve their reading skills. The activities are designed and structured to improve reading skills, fluency, comprehension, spelling and phonics. Pupils work through 65 specially written, engaging and illustrated stories.

Research has demonstrated that pupils using Tutoring with the Lightning Squad make learning gains of between 3 and 5 months in reading attainment. You can read more in our data impact report here.

Assessment and feedback

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

Regular checks are built into the programme. Pupils complete a set of reading activities related to what they have been learning. The teacher / teaching assistant will then decide whether pupils are ready to move on to the next story in the 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 reports will help schools to monitor the impact of the programme on pupils’ reading skills and development.

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  • Teach Primary Awards Finalist Badge
Costs
£495 per annum

Schools access FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad as an annual subscription service.

Half form entry – £495

1 form entry – £800

As part of the subscription service schools also gain access to our Reading Assessment Programme, as well as receiving a copy of printed resources which includes a set of stories. Subscribed schools also receive high-quality online training and support.

Trial Options
Please contact our Subscriptions team who will discuss options.

Discovery Primary Academy Using Tutoring with the Lightning Squad

Case Study

Why did Discovery Primary Academy choose Tutoring with the Lightning Squad?

Read Case Study

FAQs
Expand FAQs

QWhat is FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad (TWL)?
AFFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad is a reading catch-up 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: phonics, segmenting and blending, fluency and comprehension. Pupils work through 100 specially written, engaging and illustrated stories with a tutor.

QWas FFT's reading catch-up programme part of the National Tutoring Programme?
AWe are pleased to say that FFT's Tutoring with the Lightning Squad was previously approved as a 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.
QWhy is it important for schools to use their pupil premium grant?
AThe Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) cites tutoring as one of the most effective ways to bridge attainment gaps. Research shows that just 30 minutes of reading a day for 6 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.
QWe don't currently use FFT Success for All Phonics, can we still access Tutoring with the Lightning Squad for a phonics catch-up?
AYes, absolutely. The system is based on a Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) approach to teaching literacy and it sits comfortably alongside and complements all the widely used SSP teaching programmes (Read Write Inc., Letter & Sounds, Jolly Phonics, etc.)
QHow will the pupils be grouped on the programme?
AAll pupils take a short online reading assessment at the start of the tutoring programme to help the class teacher decide which groups of pupils should work together and at what point in the programme they should start.

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

QCan pupils access the programme at home?
APupils accessing tutoring in schools through their Tutoring with the Lightning Squad subscription can also access the platform at home. Pupils gain access, via a weblink, and can read three earlier stories and all six reading activities. This provides the ideal opportunity for pupils to continue their learning and develop their reading skills at home. We also include guidance for parents around how to support learning with their child.
QWhat evidence is there that FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad works to improve reading skills?
AResearch has demonstrated that pupils make learning gains of between 3 and 5 months in reading attainment when using TWL. This was demonstrated in 2021 when we delivered tutoring to 25,000 pupils as part of the National Tutoring Programme; since then, we have delivered to over 60,000 pupils in over 1000 schools. There has also been independent research carried out in both the USA and the UK which supports evidence of this increase in learning gains for pupils accessing Tutoring with the Lightning Squad.

Our internal data report shows pupils make, on average, 3-4 months' progress in reading fluency after six weeks of catch-up and three times as much progress as children not accessing any catch-up programme. Some pupils may benefit from more than six weeks of catch-up so, as part of your National Tutoring Programme package, we will give you free access to the programme for a further ten weeks so you can deliver more sessions yourself. We will train members of your staff for free to take over the tutoring and continue the tutor's work once they have completed the placement.

QCan I see how our pupils are progressing?
AWe provide online reports for teachers and school leaders which monitor pupils' progress and reading attainment. These reports allow staff to track new words learned, reading age, reading fluency and a measure of reading progress, making it quick and easy to quantify the programme's impact in real-time.
QAre all the resources available through the online platform?
AThe tutoring activities the pupils work through are accessed through the online FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad platform.
QAre the resources available in print versions?
AFFT recognises that some pupils may benefit from accessing the words they are learning to read and spell on paper, so we also provide printable copies of resources and stories 49-100. In addition, you will receive hard copies of the first 48 stories which match the Reception and Year 1 content of the programme.
QWhat computer equipment do we need to get started?
AYou can log into FFT's Tutoring with the Lightning Squad from any device – Chromebooks, laptops or PCs. Sound is important, so use speakers or devices with good volume to ensure the pupils can hear the audio.

Due to the interactive nature of the programme and with pupils working closely together, we’d advise avoiding iPads and tablets as the screen size tends to be a bit small and the volume too quiet.

QWhat training is available for schools?
AWe will provide regular virtual training events as well as on-demand training to ensure you have all the support you need and your staff are up to date on the latest teaching techniques.
QHow can I find out more?
AIf you’d like to discuss how to access the programme in your school with a member of the FFT team, please call 01446 500 919, or email [email protected]. FFT holds regular webinars which demonstrate how the programme can be delivered in your school and gives an overview of the FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad activities that your pupils will be working through.

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