Brannel School has been chosen to take part as a pilot school in the Key Stage 3 (KS3) Reading Fluency Project, an evidence-informed initiative led by HFL Education that is designed to rapidly improve reading outcomes for secondary-aged readers.

The KS3 Reading Fluency Project is a targeted professional development and intervention programme that supports schools to help learners who are reading below age-related expectations to make swift and sustained progress. The project combines high-quality texts with research-informed fluency strategies, enabling learners to develop accuracy, comprehension and confidence when approaching challenging texts across the curriculum.

As a pilot school, Brannel School will work closely with HFL Education and Kernow English Hub to embed the approach within its Key Stage 3 provision. Teachers involved in the project have received structured training that is carefully sequenced and spaced, allowing strategies to be applied directly in the classroom over the course of the programme.

The intervention itself runs for eight weeks, with teachers delivering two 25‑minute reading fluency sessions each week to small groups of selected learners. These sessions focus on building automaticity, prosody and comprehension - key components that many weaker readers lack when entering secondary school.

Impact data from previous cohorts of the programme shows strong outcomes. Learners who have participated in the KS3 Reading Fluency Project have made an average of 18 months’ progress in reading comprehension age in just eight weeks, alongside noticeable gains in confidence and enjoyment of reading. The full project spans approximately 12 weeks, allowing time for assessment, teacher training, delivery of the intervention and review of next steps.

The project has been developed through a collaboration between HFL Education and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), ensuring that recommended approaches are grounded in robust educational research and classroom practice.

By participating as a pilot school, Brannel School is demonstrating a strong commitment to improving literacy outcomes and ensuring that all learners are equipped with the reading skills they need to succeed across the curriculum. The school’s involvement will also help inform future delivery of the programme, supporting wider improvements in reading fluency for Key Stage 3 learners beyond the pilot phase.