Abstract
This paper describes the collaboration between a speech and language therapist and a special needs teacher to provide an intensive phonics-based programme of reading and spelling instruction in the context of a literacy summer school for students about to enter secondary school. The students' reading and spelling abilities were tested before and after the summer school. All the students benefited from the summer school in many ways. Various factors, such as innate language ability, attendance, completion of homework and age, appeared to contribute to the degree of improvement of individual students.