Laisterdyke Leadership Academy in Bradford is a vibrant school dedicated to supporting its diverse student cohort. Faced with high levels of Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN), the school partnered with LINGO and introduced News Hackers - a language intervention for upper primary and secondary schools designed to improve language development through discussions on current events.
Understanding the School Context
Laisterdyke is a nurturing school that works hard to cater for their students, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Some have limited exposure to experiences outside their local community, and for many, English is not their first language. The school recognises the importance of developing not just academic skills, but fostering a wider curriculum that builds ambition and exposes students to new opportunities. They regularly organise trips to places like theatres, museums, and the seaside to enrich the children’s lives.
Laisterdyke has also established the Inspiration Centre, a unique feature within the school and other STAR academies. The centre is designed to support students with higher needs, such as those with speech and language difficulties, ADHD and Autism. Previously, these students were taught the standard curriculum, which often led to frustration. Now, the centre provides a tailored, nurturing environment where teachers can adapt lessons to each student’s needs, ensuring more positive and effective learning.
Identifying the Need
When LINGO began working with Laisterdyke, many students struggled with reading comprehension, understanding, and verbal expression. Recognising that these difficulties were affecting pupils’ overall progress, Laisterdyke reached out to LINGO for support. A screening programme in KS3 revealed a high level of need, prompting the school to seek a universal solution across the year group.
This solution was News Hackers, a language intervention for upper primary and secondary schools centred on current news stories. It was chosen for its ease of implementation, ability to spark discussion, and relevance to students’ lives. Initially delivered in tutor groups across KS3, it has since evolved into a more targeted intervention, adapted to meet the needs of various student groups.
Why News Hackers Was the Right Fit
Laisterdyke decided to bring in News Hackers because of its focus on improving language and oracy skills while being engaging and easy to use. Mariya Mobeen, SENCo at Laisterdyke, explains that "It all comes down to language, communication, and relationships." News Hackers provides a way to strengthen those areas through a structured yet adaptable programme. The programme’s flexibility also made it useful in different learning environments - from larger tutor groups to smaller, more focused sessions - giving the school the ability to meet the varying needs of their students with one intervention.
The school also valued that the intervention was grounded in research while aligning with their aim to get students more interested in the world around them, with Mariya noting, “We’re always looking for something research-based that’s going to work well.” Another positive was that, unlike many interventions, News Hackers isn’t screen-based. “Children spend so much time on screens,” Mariya points out. “What they need is for someone to sit in front of them and deliver a session. That’s where News Hackers works really well for our students.”
Implementing News Hackers Across the School
Since its introduction, News Hackers has been used in multiple ways at Laisterdyke, including tutor groups across KS3, small groups in the Inspiration Centre, and groups of 4-5 students in the In-School Inclusion Provision (ISIP). Mariya explains that the programme's flexibility allows it to support a wide range of students with diverse needs.
In the Inspiration Centre, where students require more focused language development support, the conversational nature of News Hackers has been particularly effective. Rather than formal teaching, sessions encourage open discussions, which creates a relaxed atmosphere. “It’s not like, ‘I’m teaching you this, you need to learn’, it’s more, ‘Let’s talk about this,’ and it just feels nicer,” says Mariya.
For students with the highest emotional and social needs in the ISIP, News Hackers serves a dual purpose. It provides valuable language support while helping students engage with the world by discussing current events. “A lot of the time, running News Hackers is more about the discussions it generates,” Mariya explains. These sessions help foster a sense of belonging, with students starting their day by discussing news topics and sharing ideas.
Measuring the Impact
Students who were previously disengaged have become more involved in discussions and are improving their language skills. The quizzes at the end of each session reflect this engagement. “The kids really love the quiz at the end,” Mariya explains. “They’ll be shouting out ‘That’s true, that’s false,’ and you can see they’ve really understood the article.” The quizzes also help give students a sense of achievement, Mariya says, “These are students who struggle in a lot of lessons, but you can see they’ve got it.”
Behavioural issues, which often arise in other lessons, are less common in News Hackers sessions. The discussion-based format creates a “safe and comfortable” environment where students feel more at ease to participate. “You don’t really get behaviour issues in those lessons,” notes Mariya, as students stay focused and interested.
Staff members appreciate the structured format of News Hackers. With pre-prepared materials, teachers can easily deliver the content. “There’s a structure, and once you get used to the flow, you know what’s coming,” says Mariya. This predictability is helpful for both students and staff, creating a more positive session that feels less like formal instruction.
Beyond language development, News Hackers has sparked a greater curiosity about the world. “The kids are more interested in the world around them,” Mariya observes. Students now share what they’ve learned with their peers and teachers. “They like to know what’s going on, or they might have seen something at home that relates, and they come back to tell me about it.”
Conclusion
News Hackers has proven to be a versatile and effective tool for addressing SLCN, which staff at Laisterdyke have put to fantastic use. By focusing on real-world content and encouraging meaningful discussions, the programme has helped students improve their language skills and engage more deeply with the world around them.
For more information about News Hackers and how it could benefit your school, contact us at caitlin@lingospeech.co.uk or take a closer look at the intervention here.