Over the past few weeks, parents may have heard their child mentioning ‘PiXL therapies’ or ‘intervention groups’.  This terminology may be new to some parents, so we wanted to explain what it involves and clear up any misconceptions.

What is PiXL?

OWPS is a member of PiXL which is an organisation that works with educational providers across the country to help give students a ‘better future and brighter hope’.

Their mantra is DTT and they produce educational resources around this model, which can be applied to curriculum subjects, including Maths and English:

• Diagnosis – What is stopping me moving forward?
• Therapy - How can I be helped to move forward?
• Testing – Has it worked?

PiXL Therapies/Intervention Groups at OWPS 

• 'Therapy groups' are the same as 'intervention groups', they are not something different. These groups are short sessions run for a cohort of children who have been identified through assessment as needing extra support to understand a particular topic.  Groups might look at adding fractions, past tense verbs, solving two-step word problems to name but a few of the potential topics.
   
• If children are taken out of class for a group, it is for a short session to improve on a fundamental aspect of their learning – they will not be ‘out’ for the whole afternoon or miss subjects like art.
   
• These group sessions are not optional, just like most of the other subjects in school. They are an essential way in which we can target particular gaps in a child's understanding.  The children often find them very rewarding, and we witness lots of 'a-ha' moments as the penny drops and a child realises how to succeed in an area they've been stuck on.
   
• All children, regardless of ability, will go to a therapy session at some point during the school year and, therefore, there is no stigma to attending a session.  
   
• Sessions happen at different times of the day, so children do not miss subjects they enjoy.
   
• Groups are fluid and constantly changing to allow for the addressing of gaps in learning.

Finally, if you want to help school in addressing gaps in learning, feel free to chat to your child’s teacher about ways you can help your child.

Thank you for your support.

^{Photo by Beth Jnr on Unsplash}