How we will measure whether the pilot worked

A study is only as good as the way it measures the result. This update builds that measurement into our pilot.

The check-up

Two weeks after the 8 practice weeks end, children in the study see a short check-up on their home page. It has about 12 questions, one from each topic at their level. There are no hints, no score and no time pressure. If your child stops partway through, the remaining questions are kept for next time, and nothing is repeated.

Why the questions are new

If the check-up reused questions from practice, a child could simply remember the answers. That would measure memory rather than understanding. So we have set aside one question from every topic. These questions never appear in practice or in the first check-in, for any child. Both groups in the study see exactly the same check-up for their level.

Answers in the check-up also don't change what we know about your child's progress. They are stored separately, purely to compare the two groups fairly.

What happens afterwards

Finishing the check-up ends the study for your child. Your child's page will then tell you which group they were in. Children who worked through the topics in course order move straight onto personalised practice, so nobody misses out on the benefits.

If the personalised approach doesn't help more, we will say so publicly, and we won't claim that it does.