Reading Recovery is part of the Every Child a Reader strategy to enable children to make a good start in reading. Reading Recovery is well known to have impressive effects in the shorter term, but less is known about its long-term effectiveness. The present study followed up at the end of Year 4: 120 comparison children, 73 children who had received Reading Recovery three years earlier, and 48 children in Reading Recovery schools who had not received Reading Recovery. The children who had received Reading Recovery were achieving an average National Curriculum level of 3b in reading, which indicates being on track for Level 4 at the end of KS2. The comparison children were on average Level 2a in reading, significantly below the Reading Recovery children. Reading Recovery children were significantly less likely than comparison children to be identified as having Special Educational Needs (SEN Code of Practice, 2008) at the end of Year 3. Case studies give a flavour of the children's experience of school at the end of Year 4. Early intervention was greatly appreciated by the children and parents of the Reading Recovery schools, and the lack of early intervention and its negative consequences were remarked upon by those not in Reading Recovery schools.