A US educationist claims to have the answer
to failing schools - and it lies in literacy                                View article (PDF)
"The reason we use it, is because it accelerates learning," says Salewski. "If you are teaching something to someone else, you have to have understood it first. And it develops their language. "It also gives them life skills. They are going to have to get on with all sorts of people."
                                                                                              The Independent June 2008
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Setting 'best' for literacy                                                           View article (PDF)
"Primary pupils should be grouped by ability and tested every eight weeks to ensure they are keeping up with the rest of the group"
"If you try to meet the needs of a wide range, you won't hit anybody's spot. But if the children are at the same level, they can all participate fully. There are very few behaviour problems - it's not rocket science."
                                                                         Times Educational Supplement June 2006
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'It is difficult to improve writing,
so to improve it so significantly is amazing'                       View article (PDF)
"Adelaide Primary School, in Walker Street, west Hull, is the 50th most improved primary nationwide. The scores are based on the level four tests taken at age 11."
"The scheme has taken off since it began four years ago and the staff and children really
enjoy it."
                                                                                         Hull Daily Mail December 2005
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Success all round                                                                      View article (PDF)
"The SFA (Success for All) reading programme, which was implemented four years ago, continues to give Adelaide's children a superb grounding in all aspects of phonics, comprehension, discussion and writing."
                                                                                         Hull Daily Mail December 2005
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Results soar as school signs on to SFA                              View article (PDF)
"Pupils have been taking part in Success For All sessions since 2001, when just 40 per cent of children aged seven were gaining the expected level 2 or above in their Key Stage 1 tests. This year, 100 per cent of pupils gained level 2 or above."
                                                                                     Yorkshire Evening Post July 2004
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Head has secret of success with boys                                View article (PDF)
"At Duncombe primary in Islington, 62 per cent of boys and 58 per cent of girls achieved the target of level 4 or above in English."
"It really does seem to work," said Mr O'Shea. "All children are grouped for literacy lessons according to ability, regardless of age. They are assessed every eight weeks so no one is put in a group and left there all year."
                                                                Times Educational Supplement December 2001
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A new way with reading                                                           View article (PDF)
"the percentage of boys achieving level 4 in English rose from 41 last year to 86 this year."
"Every lesson is planned to have a fast pace and frequent change of activity. As the scheme's fans point out, this leaves teachers free to concentrate on lesson delivery."
                                                                Times Educational Supplement December 2001
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Understanding... by teaching others                                    View article (PDF)
"The results speak for themselves SFA children perform approximately three months ahead of comparable year groups by the end of Year One, and more than 12 months by Year Five."
"Research shows that streaming means children become confident in their group. They are not having to keep up with their peers. They can do the work, which means a lot to them."
                                                                    Leeds Learning Partnership September 2001
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'Success for All' a real achievement                                     View article (PDF)
"Staff at Biggin Hill Primary School give the "thumb's up" to the Success For All scheme." "This programme is the best thing since sliced bread... The children love it. The staff are motivated through seeing the success the children are having."
"Success For All is a highly effective and well-researched programme which has achieved dramatic gains in pupils' reading"
                                                                                              Hull Daily Mail March 2001
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It's a sign of the times                                                               View article (PDF)
"Our staff had been working so hard and putting so much effort in we felt we were doing as much as we could with our traditional methods and needed to try something different."
"I was sold on it straightaway because I saw a school with children just like mine succeeding at a much higher level."
                                                                                                 Hull Daily Mail July 2000
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'We have a school we can be proud of'                               View article (PDF)
"When we first started the scheme there were over 70 pupils in the less able reading groups, this has reduced to less than 35," she added.
   Following the school's success at implementing the SFA scheme, they have welcomed visitors from Leicester, Liverpool and Hull to see how it works."
                                                                    Derbyshire Evening Telegraph February 2000
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POWER PUPILS. One year's progress... in a term            View article (PDF)
"Children were learning how to problem solve and work in groups and were able to transfer these skills to other curriculum areas."
"children most behind in their reading had advanced the quickest - some making as much as four terms' progress in just 14 weeks."
                                                                                 Nottingham Evening Post May 1998