Transforming
Reading Outcomes
with Literacy Gold
Sam Marshall is Deputy Headteacher and Louise Button-Hampton is Assistant Headteacher at Greenfields Community Primary School in Maidstone, Kent.
Greenfields Community Primary School serves a community with high levels of deprivation, with 45% of pupils eligible for Pupil Premium and 10% identified as having Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). As a one‑and‑a‑half‑form‑entry school with a large nursery provision, Sam and Louise share responsibility for English across the school.
We had lots of phonics interventions, but for some children, phonics
wasn’t the problem; something else just wasn’t clicking.”
Despite strong phonics teaching using Phonics Shed, the team identified a persistent challenge: some pupils passed phonics but still struggled to read fluently. Others had good phonics knowledge, yet reading just wasn’t clicking. Traditional interventions weren’t addressing the underlying issues.
This gap led the school to adopt Literacy Gold.
Why Literacy Gold?
Greenfields needed an intervention that could:
Identify why a child was struggling
Support pupils whose phonics was secure but reading fluency lagged
Offer a structured, manageable programme that didn’t overwhelm staff
Provide clear, measurable progress data
Engage reluctant readers, especially in KS2
Literacy Gold’s combination of Reading Unlocked, Engaging Eyes and diagnostic screeners offered exactly that.
It breaks down why they’re struggling.
Whether it’s phonics, memory or their eyes.
That’s been incredibly useful.”
Implementation
The school introduced Literacy Gold from Year 2 to Year 6, beginning with small groups in Years 3 and 4. After strong early results, it was rolled out across all year groups.
Sessions were run 3 times per week for around 20 minutes each time. Different parts of the programme were implemented in their own ways, with Engaging Eyes being mostly independent and Reading Unlocked being adultguided due to the nature of the text. Literacy Gold is delivered by both teaching assistants (TAs) and teachers across key stages one and two. Sam and Louise initially ran a few short training sessions with TAs and ran some initial sessions themselves for staff to watch. The intervention was then taken over confidently by the TAs.
Children responded extremely positively. There was no reluctance, no resistance and growing excitement as they progressed through levels
It’s really userfriendly. Even staff
who aren’t confident with tech found it simple.”
The Year 2s get so excited when they move to a new level ‘I’m on the alien splat now!’”
Individual Pupil Success Stories
A Year 2 pupil arrived at Greenfields having not passed the Year 1 phonics screening. His September reading age was 6 years (10 months behind), and he read 8 words per minute.
After using Literacy Gold, his reading age was above his chronological age, and his words per minute increased to 98. When conducting peer assessment in his classroom, he was rated as being at Greater Depth standard.
He’s made loads of progress. It’s incredible to see.”
A Year 5 pupil began the year 22 months behind, reading at 7 years 8 months and reading 52 words per minute.
After using Literacy Gold, his reading age increased to 9 years 8 months (only 5 months behind), and his words per minute increased to 80. He now sits just under the expected standard for his year group, which is a huge leap.
A Year 4 pupil with speech and language needs started 11 months behind, reading 72 words per minute.
After Literacy Gold, their reading age improved to 8 years 9 months (5 months behind) and their words per minute changed to 106. Their most recent assessment rated them as achieving the expected standard.
Impact on Confidence, Attitude & Classroom Learning
Following the implementation of Literacy Gold, teachers have reported a greater willingness for the children to read in class, improved participation in reading sessions, noticeable progress in other curriculum areas and increased independence and resilience.
One Year 2 pupil who previously avoided reading now chooses a book independently when he needs quiet time.
Some children used to shut down the moment you said ‘reading’. Now they actually enjoy it.”
A Year 5 pupil who believed he ‘couldn’t read’ discovered through Engaging Eyes that his difficulty was visual tracking, not ability. This transformed his mindset.
Engaging Eyes: A Game Changing Insight
Engaging Eyes revealed underlying visual tracking issues in several pupils, including one now being assessed at the hospital. This was a breakthrough for staff and families. Literacy Gold provided clarity on why reading wasn’t progressing. It offered targeted support, and it boosted confidence by showing pupils it wasn’t ‘their fault’.
Children particularly loved the alien splat game, which made practice feel fun rather than remedial.
The eye tracking activities have been amazing, especially for our older pupils.”
Whole School Outcomes
Across the school, Literacy Gold has embedded reading confidence, supported both slightly behind and significantly behind pupils, provided clear, actionable data, enabled staff to track progress consistently, improved reading ages and fluency across multiple year groups and delivered strong assessment results, particularly in Year 5.
Year 5’s results have been brilliant.”
Why Literacy Gold Works at Greenfields
1. Clear, measurable progress - “I like the numbers. Seeing 11 months’ progress is amazing.”
2. Personalised, accessible levels. Staff found that children don't get stuck on a level; the programme adapts automatically.
3. Simple for staff as there is minimal training, no complex planning.
4. Highly engaging for pupils. Due to the games, clear goals and visible progress bars.
5. Identifies the real barrier. Whether phonics, memory, or visual tracking, Literacy Gold pinpoints the cause.
Advice for Other Schools
Sam and Louise’s message to other schools looking to adopt Literacy Gold is clear:
Their key advice:
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Be consistent. The biggest gains came from classes using it regularly.
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Dedicate time. Three short sessions per week made the difference.
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Model it first. Letting staff watch sessions early on built their confidence in delivering it.
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Use the data. It helps target support precisely.
Go for it. It’s made a really positive impact for us.”
Literacy Gold has been hugely positive for us. It’s allowed us to support children more efficiently and target exactly the areas they need.”
