Teachers trial mixed attainment reading after literacy project proves its benefits
The results are captured in an hour-long documentary being used as a learning tool for schools
/filters:format(webp)/filters:no_upscale()/prod01/cdn/media/stirling/news/news-centre/2026/jul-26/1200X630-banner-image-childrens-literacy-jess-anderson.jpg)
A University of Stirling literacy project is inspiring UK primary school teachers to change how they teach reading to children – including ditching ability-based groups.
The project saw teachers and community groups trying out ways to make literacy in primary schools fairer and more inclusive, with the results captured in an hour-long documentary now being used as a learning tool for teachers.
In the film, teachers are seen mixing up different levels of reading fluency, rather than grouping children according to reading levels. This approach had a positive impact on attainment and created fairer and more inclusive conditions for reading, particularly around social class, race, languages and neurodiversity.
The film also features interviews with individuals who share the life-long effects of being placed in ‘bottom’ reading groups in school - from feeling stupid and ashamed trying to read out loud in front of their peers, to carrying imposter syndrome into adulthood.
Teachers from schools in Glasgow, East Lothian and Southall, London took part in the film, Literacy as Liberation, and talks are taking place in several local authorities to share the film with their teachers.
Increased engagement
Primary 1 and Primary 2 pupils at Letham Mains Primary School in Haddington, East Lothian will see a new approach to reading groups when they go back to school next week. Teacher Abbie Hoskin believes mixed ability reading is the way forward. She has adopted the changes after a school colleague took part in the Stirling research.
Abbie said: “From what I have observed, mixed attainment reading has led to improved attainment across the class. However, the most significant benefit has been the increased engagement and enjoyment of reading. Learners are more motivated, more willing to contribute, and more confident in discussing texts alongside their peers. Creating an inclusive reading community where every child feels they can participate meaningfully has been one of the most powerful outcomes of this approach.”
The documentary is the culmination of seven years of research by Dr Jess Anderson, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Stirling - a leader in education and curriculum research and home to the Stirling Centre for Research into Curriculum Making.
/filters:format(webp)/filters:no_upscale()/prod01/cdn/media/stirling/news/news-centre/2026/jul-26/700X600-jess-anderson.jpg)
Postdoctoral research fellow
Ability group reading and asking children to read aloud in class are still common literary practices in our schools across the UK. This project grew out of a belief that it doesn’t have to be that way, that people do not have to leave school with lingering internalised messages of ‘not good enough’, of ‘stupid’.
The film premiered to an international audience on Friday, 3 July at the United Kingdom Literacy Association International Conference, held in Glasgow.
A community screening, free to the public, will take place at Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) on Saturday, 22 August from 10am to 12pm.
Dr Anderson, part of the University of Stirling's Education team, used qualitative findings from her doctoral thesis - carried out at the University of Strathclyde - and built on them to come up with ways to use literacy positively and inclusively, rather than making children feel shame about their reading or ways of communicating.
Among Dr Anderson's thesis findings were that children in their first few years of learning English as an additional language were routinely place in ‘bottom’ reading groups, and also that the ‘bottom’ group was largely the domain of working-class children, regardless of their aptitude for reading. Children placed in these groups were most likely to remain there for their entire primary schooling, according to the findings.
Sense of belonging
Initial findings from Dr Anderson’s subsequent research at the University of Stirling have shown that children’s progress in reading is positively affected by a shift to mixed attainment reading, particularly for those who had previously been in the bottom groups. More children expressed a sense of belonging in the class reading culture in mixed attainment groups where previously there had been feelings of exclusion.
Dr Anderson said: “Ability group reading and asking children to read aloud in class are still common literary practices in our schools across the UK. This project grew out of a belief that it doesn’t have to be that way, that people do not have to leave school with lingering internalised messages of ‘not good enough’, of ‘stupid’.
“We hope to show that we can teach literacy in ways that build confidence for all children and that are inclusive, so that fewer children will go through school feeling shame about the ways they communicate and there will be better futures for adults that know their worth.”
The research findings add to a long-standing debate in education around mixed attainment versus ability-based teaching, which is sometimes referred to as setting or streaming.
Penny Browning, P1 and Principal Teacher at Letham Mains, who took part in the study, echoes Dr Anderson's findings. Penny said: "Children are significantly more engaged compared to ability-grouped reading, as everyone is reading their own choice of text at their level at the same time, having had the same quality input about reading strategies.
"Anecdotal evidence in the early stages of applying mixed attainment reading groups in my school shows that this approach is raising attainment for those with limiting factors, including poverty, thus addressing one of the Scottish Government’s National Improvement Framework priorities for education. At the same time, there has also been a positive shift in attainment for everyone.”
Dr Anderson co-directed and co-produced the film with filmmaker Jay Gearing of Red 7 Productions.
Dr Anderson added: “Film was integral to the research process. It was used for teacher reflection and deepening insights, and provided an accessible vehicle to engage wider audiences with the research.”
Funding for the film came from the Economic and Social Research Council and the University of Stirling’s Impact Accelerator Account as part of Dr Anderson’s postdoctoral fellowship.
Tickets for the GFT film screening are available here.
UN Sustainable development goals
The University of Stirling is ranked among the top 200 institutions in the world for its contribution to meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The research or activity detailed above relates to the following SDGs.
