Phonics

At Salmons Brook School, we are committed to ensuring that every student has the tools they need to access learning with confidence. As part of our targeted literacy intervention offer, we deliver Lexonik Leap and Lexonik Flex—high-impact phonics and vocabulary programmes—across Key Stages 3, 4 and 5. 

These interventions are delivered by our specially trained Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs), who have completed accredited Lexonik training to support students with decoding, phonological awareness, vocabulary development, and reading fluency. 

• Lexonik Leap is designed for students with gaps in their foundational phonics knowledge, particularly those reading below age-related expectations. It uses a multisensory, fast-paced approach to build decoding and blending skills in a structured yet engaging way. 

• Lexonik Flex supports older students who can decode but struggle with comprehension and academic vocabulary. It explicitly teaches word morphology, roots, prefixes, and suffixes to build confidence in accessing subject-specific texts and examinations. 

These interventions are timetabled as part of our wider academic support programme and selected based on assessment data, reading age, and EHCP targets. Both programmes are short-term, high-impact, typically delivered over 6–8 weeks, with clear entry and exit assessments to demonstrate progress. 

Our aim is to close literacy gaps quickly and effectively so that all students can engage more successfully in the wider curriculum and develop lifelong reading skills.