Research School Network: Closing the Gap at Scale What Happened When We Built on What Worked

Last year, we shared the findings from our initial Fast Forward to Fluency (FFTF) trial – a teaching assistant-led reading intervention designed to support pupils who had not yet developed secure reading fluency. The results were incredibly encouraging. Pupils made meaningful gains in reading speed, accuracy and prosody, and, just as importantly, teachers reported noticeable changes in confidence and participation.

Following that success, we wanted to take the next step.

With the support of the North East Combined Authority’s Excellence in Education programme, we were able to extend and deepen this work. This year, we delivered a further round of secondary trials and developed a new version of the programme for primary pupils in Years 5 and 6, allowing us to intervene earlier and support pupils before the transition to secondary school.

Across this year’s work, FFTF reached 42 schools and 448 pupils. Pupils in the secondary phase made average gains of +26.5 words per minute, while primary pupils made gains of +22.2 words per minute. At the same time, reading quality improved significantly, with EARS scores increasing by over 50% across both phases, alongside consistent improvements in accuracy.

In doing so, FFTF has moved from a promising trial to something much more significant: a programme demonstrating what is possible when evidence, careful design and strong implementation come together at scale.

What did we see?
Across both phases, the picture has been consistently positive.

Pupils made strong gains in reading fluency, with improvements not just in speed, but also in accuracy and expression. This matters. Fluent reading is not simply about reading quickly; it is about reading with enough automaticity that attention can shift to meaning. As pupils become more fluent, they are better able to engage with the text in front of them — and with the wider curriculum.

Alongside this, schools reported increased confidence when pupils read aloud, greater participation in lessons and discussions, improved vocabulary, and a noticeable shift in pupils’ willingness to see themselves as readers.

Crucially, these gains were seen across a wide range of learners, including those eligible for Pupil Premium and those with SEND. In many cases, pupils who started furthest behind made the strongest gains, suggesting that the programme is helping to close gaps rather than widen them.

Why does it work?
The success of FFTF is not down to a single strategy. Instead, it reflects a combination of carefully chosen principles: 

• high levels of reading aloud 
• structured repetition and practice 
• an explicit focus on prosody (expression, phrasing and rhythm) 
• short, consistent, tightly designed sessions 
• strong implementation support for staff 
  

One of the most important aspects of this work has been the role of teaching assistants. When well trained and well supported, TAs can deliver highly effective interventions. FFTF builds on this evidence, ensuring that support is focused, structured and purposeful.

From trial to scale
Perhaps the most important development this year has been the move to delivery at scale.

Working across more than 40 schools, we have been able to test not just whether FFTF works, but whether it can be implemented successfully across a range of contexts. As expected, there has been some variation between schools. However, the overall pattern is clear and consistent: where implementation is strong, impact is strong.

This reinforces a key message from the evidence base: what we do matters, but how well we do it matters just as much.

Starting earlier: the move to primary
Introducing a primary version of FFTF has been an important step.

Too often, pupils arrive in secondary school without having fully secured fluency, and the gap widens from there. By working with pupils in Years 5 and 6, we are aiming to intervene earlier, giving them the best possible chance of accessing the secondary curriculum.

The early signs are really promising. Teachers are reporting similar patterns to those seen in secondary: improvements in fluency, growing confidence, and increased engagement with reading.

Final reflections
The story of FFTF over the past two years has been one of careful scaling: starting with a strong evidence-informed idea, building through a well-implemented trial, and extending that work across phases and schools.

What has been most encouraging is not just the data, but what sits behind it: pupils reading with greater confidence, contributing more in lessons, and beginning to see themselves as successful readers.

And that, ultimately, is what matters most.