Delivering Lexonic in a Secure Children’s Home

Updated 12/11/2025

At Lexonic, we believe no one should be limited because they can’t read. This extends beyond schools; we’re ready to go wherever we’re needed to improve literacy outcomes.

This is something Lexonic Quality Assurance & Delivery Senior Manager Kate Jones put into practice when she arrived at a secure children’s home to deliver Lexonic interventions. Read about Kate’s experiences directly from her.

The First Visit

Approaching the gates of the Secure Children’s Home, I had little knowledge of what was on the other side. I knew it was a place for young offenders, and I have taught boys like ‘that’ before. I thought I could handle anything, any background, any behaviour. An outsider, there to deliver Lexonic Leap training to the staff, I had no idea of what I was about to experience.

The training was successful. The staff were a lively bunch. We laughed, we all learnt new things, and at the end of the training, my colleague and I were offered a tour of the residential unit.

I was consumed with curiosity. I was very aware of the noise coming from an area where the boys were having a Christmas quiz. So much camaraderie and laughing without any of that ‘gang mentality’ that I imagined there would be. I think I’ve been watching too many prison dramas!

Meeting 'Jay'

Picture this: a 6’5”, 17-year-old lad. At first glance, I’ll be honest, I was quite intimidated. When he approached us with a huge smile and a warm ‘hello,’ I quickly realised that he was more of a gentle giant, and I was drawn in by his warmth. I wasn’t interested in any crime he may have committed, and I didn’t ask why he was there. I just asked, ‘so, has this place changed you for the better then?’

Abruptly he said ‘Yeah ‘course it has.’ Had I asked the wrong thing?

But he softly added, ‘my dad died when I was younger, then my grandad died too.’

He continued to talk openly about how he had never had time to grieve for his father and was broken when his grandfather passed away shortly after. This, by his own admission, led to a phase in his life that he could only describe as being ‘really angry.’ He hated everyone and everything, and his way of dealing with that grief was to lash out, which led to him committing a serious crime.

I was genuinely choked up. What astonished me the most was that he was able to pinpoint and acknowledge exactly what had led him to this, and that his time on the inside had been exactly what he’d needed. He’d been given the time, headspace, and professional help to learn to deal with the loss.

As we parted company, I offered him a fist pump. He said, ‘we don't do hands, we do hugs,’ and he put his arm around my shoulder. ‘Jay’ is first and foremost human. His crime did not define him.

Breaking the Chain

I learnt a lot from that brief encounter. These children had faced circumstances that meant they were almost destined for a life of crime. Many have been in care; many cannot read. They’ve been moved from school to school, some have experienced grief on a colossal level, and as we know, with grief comes anger.

This does not excuse the crimes, but there must be something that can break that chain of poorly educated children and criminal behaviour. Surely, if we get their education right, they will be less inclined to involve themselves in further crime.

Is the answer to teach them to read? Maybe not, but why not give them the tools to do so and find out?

The Power of Phonics in Practice

When lessons start at 9:00am, one thing I notice are the varied behaviours. One boy is still in sleep mode, while another couldn’t settle because his ADHD medication hadn't kicked in. Others were subdued. There are often two or three staff in each room. It was incredible to observe. Not one of the staff was flustered.

On my subsequent visit only three weeks later, I observed staff delivering Lexonic Leap, our phonics programme. I was astounded by the increased level of engagement. I mean, who at age 16 wants to learn phonics?

The staff were amazing. There was some resistance, of course, but once the boys realised that they needed this life-changing skill, they improved day after day. When I saw their levels of engagement, reading out letter sounds confidently, it felt like we were really starting to make a difference.

A Vehicle for Change

This got me thinking. Before my first visit, I just assumed these were bad kids, but they have such complex needs: trauma, abuse, violence, grief. Their identities are multifaceted, and the crime is just one part.

Of course, they are stubborn and angry on the outside, but when you dig deeper you see traumatised children who need nurturing. The boys I had the privilege of spending time with still had strong values; they just didn’t love themselves.

Again, maybe teaching them to read isn’t the entire answer, but a good education is a vehicle for change.

When I saw ‘Jay’ on his last day, he was sitting waiting for his mum. He hugged me, told me about his imminent college interview, and told me to take care. I felt incredibly proud of this young man who I barely knew. I wanted to give him a heartfelt ‘don't do it again’ talk, but words failed me. Instead, I quietly said ‘look after your mum and make her proud.’

I hugged my own children a little bit tighter that night!

We're Ready to Go Wherever We're Needed

Kate's story is at the heart of our mission. Our interventions are designed to create life-changing opportunities for all learners, in all settings.

If your school, college, or specialist provision needs a proven solution to support learners with complex needs, we can help.

Schedule a demo with our literacy experts to learn more.