BANFF Academy Case Study

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Executive Summary

Banff Academy subsequently recommended Tempo Reading for approval by Aberdeenshire Council as a

go-to Ed-Tech Solution for the county. Approval is expected to be imminent as of July 2025.

Background

​​Banff Academy is an S1-S6 secondary school located in Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Banff  provides comprehensive education for both boys and girls. What makes this

institution particularly notable, apart from its exceptional leadership and staff, is the high

proportion of students with additional support needs - 60% compared to the national average

of 18%. This unique challenge makes the school an ideal environment for testing Tempo Reading.

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Why did we conduct this case study?

The school faced several key challenges that needed to be addressed. With such a high

percentage of students requiring additional support, they sought solutions that could:

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• Provide more effective support for their diverse student population

• Decrease the educational burden for the teaching staff

• Address the specific needs of students with ADHD and dyslexia

• Transform traditional reading and studying methods into more engaging experiences

• Implement adaptive learning tools that could accommodate various learning styles

• Enhance exam preparation techniques for students at all ability levels.

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At the same time, this is framed within the global crisis regarding attention span decline,

SEND drop-out rates, decreasing home reading levels and the teacher workload crisis. 

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What did we do?

Our research comprised a three-day empirical investigation of the Tempo Reading

application, incorporating rigorous monitoring methodologies and quantitative assessment

metrics.

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• A diverse group of over 70 students participated in controlled testing sessions with students ranging from 12-17 years old.

• Carefully structured sessions lasting between 15 and 30 minutes

• Thorough testing of all application features, with particular attention to eye-tracking and speed-control functionality

• Detailed collection of both quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback

• Focused observation of students with ADHD and dyslexia to assess the specific impact

 

What is Tempo Reading?

The first Eye Tracking, Text Reveal and AI reading App and Tutor;

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Eye Tracking: Monitors and analyses the reading via the tablet camera while prompting the

student to hyper-focus.

Flow State Text Reveal: Is set to speeds that correlate to low-beta waves when we are most focused,

preventing skim reading and increasing knowledge retention. 

Neurodiverse: Text reveal helps reduce word and line jumbling, decreases anxiety, and

increases working memory.

Optimum Reading Speed: Tempo helps identify each student’s Optimum Reading Speed,

allowing them to access their flow state for deep learning.

Teacher Workload: Monitor a whole class in real-time and have access to analysis and

reporting, identifying time read/focus rate/comprehension score / Optimum Reading Speed

and progress.

Curriculum: Aligned with the UK curriculum and modelled on BBC Bitesize. Supported by

over 400 stories.

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The outcomes and results?

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• 92.7% of students preferred Tempo to traditional books.

• 97.0% of all students reported improved focus while using the app,

• 100% of students with ADHD and dyslexia report enhanced concentration.

• 100% stated they would choose it over conventional methods when studying for exams.

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There was overwhelming staff support, with the head teacher reporting "nothing but positivity" from all users and teachers he had spoken with.

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Student Engagement

The data revealed remarkable levels of student acceptance and improvement:

The response to exam preparation was particularly noteworthy. Every student indicated they

would choose our application over conventional study methods. This unanimous preference

strongly aligns our tool's capabilities and students' study needs.

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Focus and concentration saw dramatic improvements. This broad improvement across the

student population indicates the tool's universal benefit.

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Perhaps most significantly, every student with ADHD and dyslexia reported improved

concentration levels, demonstrating the particular effectiveness of Tempo Reading for

students with additional learning needs.Student Feedback

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The application's features received detailed positive feedback:

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• The eye-tracking functionality earned high praise for its intuitive design and effectiveness in helping the students focus

• Students particularly appreciated the text reveal and how it helped them maintain focus and avoid skim reading.

• The ability to adjust the reading tempo to their Optimum Reading Speed was a keyfactor in maintaining student interest, focus and comprehension of the learning materials.

• Multiple students reported unprecedented periods of sustained concentration, with one notably commenting,  

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"I didn't lose focus for that whole time, but normally I'm easily distracted"

 

and another stating,

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“It made me very aware of my concentration, and I found a speed that made me

relaxed and focused.”

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Staff Response

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The teaching staff's response exceeded expectations. The head teacher's feedback was

particularly encouraging, reporting "nothing but positivity" from all users.

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Key Observations - Several important insights emerged from the study:

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1.Students demonstrated significant variations in reading speed between academic

and recreational content, highlighting the importance of flexible speed controls.

2. The customisable features proved particularly engaging, with students actively

adjusting settings to match their learning preferences.

3. The study revealed the potential for determining subject-specific Optimum Reading

Speeds (ORS), suggesting applications beyond general reading improvement.

4. Students who historically struggled with reading reported notably positive

experiences with the application

Summary

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This comprehensive case study at Banff Academy demonstrates the significant potential

Tempo Reading holds for transforming educational experiences, particularly in schools with

high proportions of students requiring additional support. The combination of qualitative

improvements and positive feedback from both staff and students shows that widespread

implementation of Tempo Reading would benefit similar educational institutions.