BESA CORNER


In our regular column covering the work of members of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), we hear from The Literacy Company and Deesha AI.


The best possible opportunities for all pupils to succeed in reading Many teachers and school leaders ask how best


Comment by ALLISON RILEY, English Consultant at The Literacy Company


to teach reading in a way that both supports and challenges every pupil. This article explores one school’s approach which has led to remarkable outcomes for its learners.


A recent visit to St Basil’s Catholic Primary School in Widnes was incredibly inspiring. There are 230 pupils (age 3-11) on roll, including two complex needs resource bases. Of those 230 pupils, 59% are eligible for the Pupil Premium Grant, 18% speak English as an additional language and 32% are identified as having SEND.


From the moment you enter St Basil’s, you feel welcome: it’s warm, inviting, walls are adorned with rich cross-curricular work and pupils are exceptionally kind and polite. And what strikes you next is the books. Headteacher Angela Sheppard talks passionately about English and her love of books. She strives for every child to be a competent reader, not only to support their access to the curriculum, but also to improve their well-being and life chances. Everywhere you look there are books – beautifully displayed on shelves; in small, neat piles on pupil desks; and class sets for reading lessons. Pupils are encouraged to read, read, read.


Last year 83% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading with 21% reaching greater depth. The school’s ISDR states they are above national average for disadvantaged pupils on a 3-year average. Mrs Sheppard shared a letter from Bridget Philipson congratulating the school on its 2024/25 performance in Y6. The letter recognises the scale of their achievement and explains that St Basil’s is placed among the very best schools nationally.


These results haven’t come easily. Time has been taken to fully embed the Pathways to Read programme. The school has also explored a range of additional reading sessions, interventions and models. They have found a timetable that works for them: daily whole class Pathways to Read sessions, afternoon targeted grouped sessions, fluency practice and catch-up phonics. A daily whole-class model sets high expectations for everyone. Pupils are supported to read fluently through a range of strategies – choral, echo, repeated and speed reading – enabling them to access age-appropriate texts and be exposed to a wide range of authors.


On a learning walk, the leadership team at St Basil’s explained that things take time. It is important for school leaders to embed systems, making relevant tweaks when needed. Mrs Sheppard emphasised the importance of teamwork – for staff to be on the same page with similar beliefs and motivation. The consistent approach and teachers’ ambition for the pupils was clearly evident. In reading lessons, all pupils were fully engaged; it made a huge difference that pupils either shared or had their own book. Year 4 pupils poured over a non-fiction book on volcanoes using text features to find facts. Discussion was also high on the agenda and partners responded eagerly to share thoughts on the questions they were asked. Reading aloud and discussion are prioritised over recording written responses.


So what makes reading so successful at St Basil’s? Time and priority given to regular whole-class reading lessons, high-quality texts and a consistent, progressive approach to the teaching of reading. Witnessing schools teach reading with such skill and commitment is a privilege – and a reminder of the powerful impact this has on pupils’ futures.


For more information, visit u www.theliteracycompany.co.uk Navigating responsible AI in the classroom


The transition of Artificial Intelligence from a futurist concept to a classroom staple has been remarkably swift. From adaptive learning platforms that adjust in real time to student knowledge gaps to analytics tools that predict attendance dips, AI is now an integral part of the UK educational landscape. However, as we move past the initial excitement of ‘magic’ tools that save time on marking or lesson planning, a more serious conversation is emerging.


For teachers and school leaders, the focus is shifting from what AI can do to how it can be used responsibly, transparently, and safely. As we adopt these powerful technologies, the need for robust governance has never been more critical.


The tale of two schools


Consider a scenario involving two schools adopting the same AI–driven assessment tool.


The first school prioritises speed, rolling the platform out across all year groups to achieve immediate gains in marking efficiency. However, by the end of the term, they notice that the automated feedback for students with Special Educational Needs is consistently less accurate than for their peers. Because the school didn’t investigate the training data or the ‘black box’ logic of the tool, they are left facing parental concerns and a breakdown in trust.


The second school moves with more intention. Before the rollout, they conduct a ‘Responsible AI’ review. They ask the vendor exactly what data the tool accesses, how recommendations are generated, and how algorithmic fairness is monitored. By establishing this governance framework, the school deploys the tool with confidence, able to


18 www.education-today.co.uk demonstrate clear oversight to governors and parents alike.


Why governance matters to teachers Responsible AI is not just a high–level policy concern; it has a direct impact on the classroom. Ethical AI ensures that the digital assistants teachers rely on are free from bias and that student data remains protected. Global frameworks are already beginning to shape this landscape. The EU AI Act, for instance, classifies many educational systems as ‘high–risk’, demanding strict transparency. Meanwhile, frameworks like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework provide practical templates for school leaders to assess technology before it reaches the classroom. These aren’t just hurdles; they are the benchmarks that ensure EdTech serves the student, rather than the other way around.


Moving from reactive to proactive


As we look towards the rest of the 2026 academic year, the goal for school leaders is to move from reactive deployment to proactive governance. This starts with asking the right questions during procurement. Does the vendor understand UK safeguarding expectations? Are their AI decisions explainable?


Platforms like Deesha are built on the principle that AI should empower leaders with actionable insights without compromising on ethical standards. By integrating data from multiple sources into a unified intelligence layer, this technology allows schools to more effectively identify trends – such as the root causes of attendance drops – while maintaining the highest standards of data integrity. The journey to ethical EdTech is about institutional values. It is about ensuring that behind every automated insight lies a human–centred decision–making process. When we get this right, AI stops being a source of anxiety and becomes a powerful ally in the pursuit of academic excellence.


For more information, visit u www.deesha.ai March 2026


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