Interventions at Copley Primary School
At Copley Primary School, we offer a wide range of interventions to support children’s learning, communication, confidence, and self-esteem. These small-group or individual interventions are designed to meet each child’s needs and help them thrive in school. Below is a guide to each intervention, including what it involves, its aims, and why your child may attend.
1:1 means 1 adult and 1 child.
Phonics and Spelling
At Copley Primary School, we follow Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS) as our phonics scheme. Any phonics interventions we deliver are taken directly from the ELS scheme to ensure children receive consistent teaching that matches their classroom learning.
Within ELS, we use three targeted interventions:
- GPC (Grapheme–Phoneme Correspondence)
- Blending for Reading
- Essential Spelling (Year 2 upwards)
Grapheme-Phoneme Correspondence
Description:
This intervention focuses on helping children recognise the links between letters (graphemes) and the sounds (phonemes) they represent. Children take part in activities such as identifying the sound, reading words aloud, and practising sounds in words and sentences.
Aims:
- Strengthen recognition of letter–sound relationships
- Build automatic recall of sounds
- Support both reading and spelling
Your child may attend if:
They are not yet secure in recognising sounds, confuse similar sounds, or need extra repetition to retain phonics knowledge.
How it’s run:
- 1:1 sessions
- Progression at the child's pace
- seeing, hearing, saying, writing
Blending for Reading
Description:
Children practise putting individual sounds together to read words fluently. For example, they sound out “c-a-t” and blend it to read “cat,” gradually moving to longer words and short sentences. Activities include listening to someone segmenting a word and child blending it, reading decodable texts, matching sounds to letters, and practising reading aloud in short bursts.
Aims:
- Improve fluency
- Being able to blend words
- Reduce hesitant or slow sounding out
- Build confidence in independent reading
Your child may attend if:
They know individual sounds but find blending them into words difficult e.g. they may segment c / a / t and say ‘tap’.
How it’s run:
- 1:1
- Progression at the child's pace
- Linked to phonics and adapted per child
Essential Spelling (Year 2 upwards)
Description:
Structured spelling intervention based on the ELS programme. Children practise tricky words, spelling patterns, and apply phonics knowledge in writing: includes writing words, building words, and oral repetition.
For example, children might explore the “igh” sound and write “light,” “night,” and “bright,” noticing spelling patterns.
Aims:
- Develop understanding of spelling rules and patterns
- Improve spelling accuracy in written work
- Support children who may have dyslexic tendancies difficulties
Your child may attend if:
They struggle to remember spellings, they find it hard to apply phonics to writing, or if they have dyslexic tendancies
How it’s run:
- 1:1 or small-group sessions
- Regular practice and repetition
Fine Motor Skills
Description:
A fun, practical intervention to strengthen hand and finger muscles. Activities include threading beads, peg boards, using tweezers, manipulating playdough, and practising handwriting.
For example, children might spend 5 minutes doing a 'warm-up' activity such as picking up tiny beads with tweezers to improve finger coordination, then practise forming letters on paper.
Aims:
- Strengthen hand and finger muscles
- Improve pencil grip and control
- Develop clearer, more comfortable handwriting
Your child may attend if:
They tire quickly when writing, avoid written tasks, have an awkward pencil grip, or struggle with neat handwriting.
How it’s run:
- Small groups
- Warm-up exercises - fun fine motor games - handwriting practice
- Activities increase in difficulty as skills improve
Black Sheep (Year 6 Transition)
Description:
A small group preparing Year 6 pupils for secondary school. Children discuss worries about moving, practise organising belongings, and role-play social situations.
For example, they might plan packing their school bag, map their route to school, or role-play introducing themselves to new classmates.
Aims:
- Reduce anxiety about transition
- Build independence and organisational skills
- Develop confidence about change
Your child may attend if:
They are anxious about moving to secondary school or need extra support preparing for transition.
How it’s run:
- Weekly small-group sessions
- Discussion, practical exercises, and reflection
- Adults model coping strategies
Social Use of Language Programme (SULP)
Description:
Teaches the ‘hidden rules’ of conversation and social interaction. Children discuss scenarios, role-play responses, and practise interpreting body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
For example, a child might practise how to politely disagree with a peer or ask for help in a group activity.
Aims:
- Develop turn-taking and listening skills
- Understand non-verbal cues
- Start and maintain conversations effectively
Your child may attend if:
They find social situations confusing, interrupt, or misread social cues.
How it’s run:
- Small-group sessions
- Structured discussion - role-play - reflection
- Progressively more complex social scenarios
Numberstacks
Description:
A hands-on maths intervention using blocks, cards, and visual representations. Children explore numbers, addition, subtraction, and relationships between numbers.
For example, they might build 10 in different ways: 7 + 3, 5 + 5, or 8 + 2, and discuss which is faster or easier.
Children complete an 'assessment' beforehand. This assessment shows where gaps are. The intervention then supports 'plugging these gaps'.
Aims:
- Improve understanding of number relationships
- Develop mental maths confidence
- Strengthen basic number skills
Your child may attend if:
They find basic number concepts challenging or need extra support in maths.
How it’s run:
- Hands-on activities
- 1:1 or small-group sessions
- Focus on one concept at a time, only move on to the next concept when ready
Lego Therapy
Description:
Children work together to build models in small groups of 3.
Each child in the group has a role: architect (designs), builder (constructs), supplier (provides pieces).
The 'architect' has a picture of a model and they have to try direct the others to build it. The 'architect' tells the 'supplier' the piece they need and the 'supplier' finds it to give to the 'builder'. The 'arcitect' then tells the 'builder' where it needs to go. This can be done with lego but also other materials such as playdoh models too. If the 'builder' can’t find a piece, they ask the 'supplier' politely, or the group may adapt the design together.
The adult is there to guide communication and help the children reflect after.
The children practise communication, listening, problem-solving, and negotiating solutions.
Aims:
- Develop teamwork and cooperation
- Improve listening and communication
- Build problem-solving and negotiation skills
- Increase confidence in social interactions
Your child may attend if:
They struggle with turn-taking, teamwork, or social communication.
How it’s run:
- Small groups of 3
- Structured roles and clear goals
- Adult supports communication and encourages reflection
1:1 Reading
Description:
Individual sessions where children practise reading aloud to an adult, decoding, and comprehension. Adults model reading strategies, ask questions, and provide feedback.
For example, children will read their reading book and discuss what the characters are feeling or predict what happens next.
Aims:
- Improve fluency and comprehension
- Build confidence and enjoyment in reading
- Provide tailored support
Your child may attend if:
They lack confidence, need help with comprehension, or need extra reading practice.
How it’s run:
- 1:1
- Texts at the correct level to the child
- Encouragement and praise
Self-Esteem Group (with Miss Adamson)
Description:
Small group supporting confidence and wellbeing. Activities include identifying personal strengths, discussing achievements, and practising positive self-talk.
For example, children may create a ‘strengths wheel’.
Aims:
- Build self-confidence
- Recognise strengths
- Develop coping strategies
Your child may attend if:
They are overly self-critical, lack confidence, or need support managing worries.
How it’s run:
- Weekly small group sessions
- Activities, discussion, reflection
Times Table Rock Stars
Description:
Children practise multiplication tables through an engaging online platform with timed games. Progress and scores are tracked, encouraging friendly competition.
Aims:
- Improve recall speed
- Build maths confidence
- Strengthen multiplication knowledge
Your child may attend if:
They need extra practice recalling times tables quickly.
How it’s run:
- Individualised levels
- Progress tracked and celebrated
Zones of Regulation
Description:
We use Zones of Regulation as a school. However, some children benefit from a personalised intervention to help them recgonise their own strategies.
Children learn to identify feelings using colour-coded zones (green, blue, yellow, red) and practise strategies to regulate emotions, such as deep breathing, stretching, or mindfulness.
Aims:
- Increase emotional awareness
- Develop self-regulation strategies
- Reduce outbursts
Your child may attend if:
They struggle to manage big feelings or become easily overwhelmed.
How it’s run:
- Small-group sessions, sometimes 1:1
- Learning zones - practising strategies - reflection
Colourful Semantics
Description:
Children use colour-coded cards for sentence building: who, what doing, what, where. They practise forming full sentences in speech and writing.
They start off with 'what' and 'what doing' or 'who' and 'what doing'.
For example: “The cat (who) is chasing (what doing) the mouse (what) in the garden (where).”
Aims:
- Develop sentence structure
- Improve spoken and written expression
- Support understanding of sentence components
Your child may attend if:
They use short sentences when speaking or struggle to organise ideas.
How it’s run:
- Small-group
- Step-by-step sentence building
- Applied to writing and speaking
LINGO Speech and Language (SALT)
Description:
We have a Speech and Language Therapist that comes into school every 2 weeks. Children are referred to her via our SENCO. When she sees children, she gives them a target plan based on their needs. This support may be for vocabulary, speech sounds, grammar, sentence construction, and communication skills. Activities include following instructions, practising new words, and constructing sentences.
Aims:
- Develop vocabulary
- Improve understanding and communication
- Strengthen sentence development
Your child may attend if:
They have speech and language difficulties, follow SALT recommendations and have been referred into their services.
How it’s run:
- 1:1
- Short, focused tasks
Chatterbox
Description:
Early language intervention through structured play. Children practise listening, vocabulary, and early conversation skills with games, stories, and role-play.
Aims:
- Improve listening and attention
- Build vocabulary
- Develop early conversation skills
Your child may attend if:
They are delayed in early speech and language development.
How it’s run:
- Small-group sessions
- Play-based, gradually increasing complexity
See and Learn
Description:
Visual programme supporting early reading, language, and number skills. Children complete matching, sequencing, and counting activities.
Aims:
- Build vocabulary
- Support early reading development
- Develop early number understanding
Your child may attend if:
They benefit from visual learning and need support with early communication or learning.
How it’s run:
- Structured visual activities
- Skill-building and repetition
Gross Motor Skills
Description:
Physical activities developing balance, coordination, and core strength. Children may do obstacle courses, ball games, climbing, or balancing exercises.
Aims:
- Improve balance and coordination
- Strengthen core stability
- Support posture for learning
Your child may attend if:
They appear clumsy, tire easily, or avoid physical activities.
How it’s run:
- Small-group or 1:1 sessions
- Progressive activities increasing difficulty
Sensory Circuits
Description:
Sensory circuits are generally planned into a child's day before/after transitions. These are short, structured movement sessions. Activities include alerting exercises (jumping, running), organising exercises (balancing, stretching), and calming exercises (deep breathing, massage).
Aims:
- Help children feel calm and organised
- Prepare the body and brain for learning
- Support regulation of energy levels
Your child may attend if:
They find it hard to settle, appear overactive, or struggle to focus.
How it’s run:
- Short sessions
- Three-stage approach in order: alerting - organising - calming
Sensory Breaks
Description:
Short (planned or unplanned) breaks during the day that may include movement, stretching, quiet time, or sensory activities to help children regulate emotions and energy.
Aims:
- Prevent overwhelm
- Support emotional regulation
- Improve readiness to learn
Your child may attend if:
They become overwhelmed, distracted, overstimulated, or dysregulated.
How it’s run:
- Flexible breaks throughout the day
- No adult required
- Can include movement, sensory tools, or quiet reflection
Coming soon!