Effective School Interventions to Support Pupil Progress

Every school is under pressure to raise attainment, close learning gaps, and ensure every child makes progress. School interventions, targeted programmes designed to boost learning, behaviour or wellbeing alongside regular classroom teaching, are one of the most reliable ways to achieve this.

School interventions can be the difference between a child falling further behind or making confident, measurable progress. When delivered effectively, interventions don’t just raise exam scores; they help children feel more confident, supported, and engaged with their education.

This article aims to explore effective school interventions and provide practical examples that educational provisions can implement in the classroom immediately.

What are school interventions?

School interventions are short-term, targeted programmes, run within educational provision, that provide additional academic, behavioural or emotional support for pupils who need extra help beyond standard classroom teaching. These interventions should be evidence-based, closely monitored, and designed to address learning gaps quickly and sustainably.

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) defines an intervention as a structured programme aimed at improving outcomes for young people in an academic, behavioural or social context.

Why interventions are important in primary and secondary schools

Secondary school and primary school interventions are central to any strategy for raising attainment and addressing pupil progress. They enable teachers to close gaps in knowledge, skills and confidence that can otherwise widen quickly.

Effective interventions should:

• Raise attainment: targeted support helping learners meet expected standards or exam grades.
• Address barriers: help learners overcome challenges, particularly for children with SEND or pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Have specific outcomes: clear, planned outcomes help pupils improve their knowledge, skills, or confidence. 
• Promote social development: help with self-regulation, social skills, managing emotions, and building relationships. 
• Ensure equity: provide every child with the opportunity to reach their potential.

EEF research suggests that structured one-to-one or small-group interventions can add up to five months of additional progress compared to normal classroom teaching. However, it warns that interventions must be evidence-based, time-efficient, and well-aligned with the curriculum to deliver lasting benefits.

Types of school interventions

As identified by the EEF, school interventions usually fall into three broad categories, and each plays a different role in supporting children:

1. Academic
2. Behavioural
3. Emotional and wellbeing

1. Academic interventions

These are among the most common interventions; they focus on attainment in core subjects. For example:

• Literacy: research shows that early literacy interventions, such as phonics and guided reading, help close attainment gaps that otherwise persist into secondary school.
• Numeracy: targeted interventions, such as one-to-one tuition, in number fluency and automaticity help to accelerate progress, identify misconceptions and provide learners with immediate feedback.

When teachers train and direct teaching assistants, they can deliver short, focused academic interventions. However, the EEF highlights that their impact is greatest when sessions are structured, planned, and aligned with class teaching.

Skye allows us to get more children onto the programme because it’s so affordable and flexible. We can reschedule sessions easily, and pupils love the one-to-one conversations.

David Gooding, Assistant Head, Harrison Primary School

Behavioural interventions

Behaviour interventions focus on improving engagement, motivation and conduct in the classroom so that pupils are ready to learn. Examples include:

• Behaviour mentoring: one-to-one or small group interventions with a mentor to help pupils reflect on their behaviour, set goals, and practise strategies to improve classroom conduct.
• Social and communication skills sessions: structured activities encouraging pupils to listen, respond, and work collaboratively; particularly valuable for children who struggle to engage in group learning.
• Restorative practice: short conversations that act as an intervention to help repair relationships after incidents of conflict, reduce repeated misbehaviour and strengthen the school community.

Emotional and wellbeing interventions

Wellbeing is essential for effective learning, and schools are increasingly recognising the importance of supporting pupils’ mental health. Examples include:

• Counselling or pastoral support: providing safe spaces and trusted adults for pupils to talk to can reduce anxiety and build resilience.
• Social skills workshops: structured workshops help children develop empathy, confidence, and coping strategies for challenges.
• Peer groups: older learners or trained mentors can provide networks for younger children, helping them feel more secure and connected in school.

Wider provision

Beyond in-school interventions, some run after-school clubs and enrichment activities as part of their intervention strategy.

While these may not focus on a single subject, they provide valuable opportunities to develop social skills, increase learner engagement, and raise aspirations.

The challenge is to decide which range of interventions is most likely to deliver a positive impact for the pupils identified without stretching staff or resources too thin.

How to implement school interventions successfully

To deliver real impact, interventions need structure, evidence and ongoing evaluation. The EEF recommends schools treat interventions like any other teaching improvement: plan carefully, deliver consistently, and monitor outcomes.

1. Assess and identify need

Use baseline assessments, teacher observation, and progress data to identify which children need support and what their barriers and challenges are.

2. Select evidence-based strategies

Choose approaches backed by credible research. The EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit is an essential starting point; it ranks the average impact, cost, and strength of evidence for each intervention type.

3. Plan and resource the intervention

Clarify objectives, success measures, and the staff involved. Define how long the intervention will run and how progress will be tracked. Ensure the plan aligns with school improvement priorities.

Element	Primary intervention example: Year 6 Maths Catch-Up	Secondary intervention example: Year 10 GCSE Maths Support
Objective	Improve pupils’ fluency and confidence with fractions and percentages before SATs.	Close identified gaps in algebraic manipulation and problem-solving ahead of GCSE mocks.
Target group	6 pupils identified through baseline assessments as working below age-related expectations.	10 learners predicted a grade 3–4 based on autumn term assessments and teacher observation.
Intervention lead	Year 6 class teacher supported by AI tutor Skye.	Head of Maths supported by a subject specialist AI maths tutor Skye.
Delivery format	Three 30-minute one to one sessions per week for 6 weeks.	Three 30-minute after-school session per week with Skye.
Resources required	Access to AI maths tutor Skye for one-to-one reinforcement.	Guided practice, exam-style question breakdowns, and explicit modelling of multi-step reasoning.
Teaching approach	Scaffolded teaching following the “I do, we do, you do” model; focus on modelling and immediate feedback.	At the end of term, evaluate if learners can move into whole-class support or continue the targeted GCSE intervention strategy until exams.
Success measures	– 80% of pupils achieve full marks in end-of-unit quiz. – Increased confidence check out question. – Improved class participation.	– Average progress of +1 grade in mock exam section scores. – Improved accuracy in algebra test questions. – Increased confidence check out question.
Monitoring process	Skill check in and skill check out progress. Session reports from Skye.	Termly data review by Head of Maths, pupil progress tracker updated after each Skye session.
Review and next steps	At six weeks, decide whether pupils exit or continue support.	At end of term, evaluate if learners can move into whole-class support or continue targeted tutoring until GCSEs.

4. Deliver with consistency and quality

Training matters. Whether led by teachers, teaching assistants, or external tutors, sessions should be structured, regular, and aligned with classroom learning. Keep group sizes small, or one to one, for maximum impact.

5. Monitor, evaluate and adapt

Collect feedback from children and staff, review assessment data, and decide whether the intervention should continue, adapt or conclude.

Common challenges in implementing interventions

Even the most promising intervention strategies fail if implementation and provision aren’t realistic. Some of the most common challenging schools often cited include:

• Limited time and staffing: interventions can be time-consuming and add to teacher workload without efficient systems.
• Fragmented provision: too many unconnected interventions dilute impact.
• Weak alignment: when sessions don’t link to classroom teaching, there’s little impact.

Regular communication between intervention staff and class teachers is crucial to ensure continuity.

Best practice and guidance

The most effective interventions share a consistent pattern: they are targeted, structured, monitored and connected to the classroom. But the difference between a good and great intervention often lies in implementation, the systems education leaders put in place to sustain quality over time.

1. Targeted and evidence-informed

Start with clear identification criteria. Use formative assessments, teacher observations and diagnostic tools to pinpoint not just who needs help but why.

For example, rather than grouping pupils as “low ability,” identify the precise misconception e.g. “struggles with place value” or “confuses factors and multiples”.

Choose intervention strategies with strong evidence of impact. The EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit one to one tutoring as “high impact for moderate cost.”

Practical tip: Create a one-page pupil profile for each intervention learner, summarising strengths, targets, and assessment data. This keeps the focus on individual needs and supports continuity between staff.

2. Structured and time-bound

Interventions work best when they follow a predictable rhythm of short, regular sessions with clear objectives and review points.

Research shows that 30-minute sessions two to three times a week tend to be more effective than occasional longer blocks.

Use a simple template for each session: recap → model → guided practice → independent task → reflection.

Avoid “rolling” interventions with no defined endpoint. Every intervention should have start and exit criteria.

Practical tip: Add intervention timetables to your school’s wider calendar so they aren’t missed during trips, assessments or cover changes.

3. Monitored and data-led

Monitoring should be light-touch but consistent. The goal is to catch issues early and adjust before impact is lost.

• Use short progress snapshots every few sessions, such as quick quizzes, exit tickets, or self-assessments.
• Combine quantitative data, such as scores and attendance, with qualitative insights like teacher or learner reflections.
• Schedule a mid-point review for every intervention cycle, so you can adapt the approach or reallocate staff if the impact is low.

Practical tip: Use a shared digital tracker to record attendance, progress and next steps. This keeps communication open across class teachers, teaching assistants, school leaders and SENCOs.

4. Linked to classroom learning

Learning interventions shouldn’t run in isolation. Their impact multiplies when they reinforce what pupils are already learning in class.

• Align sessions with the current or upcoming classroom topic. For example, if Year 5 is covering fractions, schedule tutoring that builds fraction fluency.
• Encourage teachers to share lesson objectives with intervention staff weekly.
• Provide learners with time to apply what they’ve practised in whole-class lessons to reinforce retention and help them see the relevance of intervention work.

Practical tip: Start every intervention with a link or review back to classroom learning.

5. Confidence-building

Effective interventions don’t just close knowledge gaps; they change how pupils see themselves as learners.

• Prioritise praise for effort and progress, not just accuracy.
• Use immediate feedback so pupils understand mistakes in the moment and correct them independently.
• Build in short reflection time: ask learners to explain what they learned or what they found tricky.

The EEF emphasises that this type of responsive feedback is key to developing metacognition, pupils’ ability to plan, monitor and evaluate their own learning.

Practical tip: End every session with a two-minute learner reflection to encourage review of the information learnt to boost confidence.

The Year 5 teachers said that they could see that the children were happier in certain topics and that they felt a little bit more sure of themselves. And as soon as that confidence starts to grow in one area, they take that confidence into the next area.

Lucia Romeu, Assistant Headteacher, Danegrove Primary School

Building a culture of effective interventions

Ultimately, interventions should not be “extra” but an integrated part of teaching and learning. When schools create a culture of early identification, evidence-based planning and regular review, interventions become a natural extension of high-quality classroom practice.

With tools like Skye, schools can scale interventions, giving every learner who needs it access to personalised maths support that’s consistent, measurable, and affordable.

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