Intent

At Bishop Hooper C.E. Primary School, our aim is to inspire a lifelong love of literature and language while equipping children with the skills and knowledge to become confident, articulate readers and writers. We want every child to experience the joy of reading and writing from their earliest days with us, with opportunities that build on their individual interests and promote creativity, curiosity, and personal expression.

English lies at the heart of our curriculum, as we believe it is key to both academic success and continued learning. Through a carefully structured, text-based approach, we develop pupils’ technical skills alongside a genuine passion for reading and writing. Our chosen texts are diverse, engaging, and purposeful—forming meaningful links across the curriculum, particularly with subjects such as History and Geography. This ensures children see reading and writing not just as school-based tasks, but as essential tools for understanding and communicating in the wider world.

We strive to help all our pupils grow into imaginative and effective communicators who are able to access, interpret, and contribute to the voices of both today and the future. By fostering a love of language and encouraging thoughtful engagement with texts, we aim to develop readers who read for pleasure and for purpose.

In writing, our key intentions are to encourage children to write for a purpose, helping them see themselves as writers who take ownership of their work. We aim to foster a view of writing as an enjoyable and creative process, where children can express their ideas freely. Additionally, we focus on developing their ability to organise and plan their thoughts effectively, ensuring their writing is clear and purposeful.

Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that every child leaves Bishop Hooper as a capable communicator—well-prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond, with a strong command of the written word and a lasting love of reading and writing.

Implementation

At Bishop Hooper School, we provide engaging and varied early literacy experiences to spark enthusiasm for reading and writing from the very first days of school. Through songs, rhymes, and diverse texts, we aim to ignite a passion for language.

We use the FFT (Fischer Family Trust) Success for All Phonics programme, starting in Butterflies Nursery, to build a strong foundation in phonics. This proven, DfE-approved scheme supports children’s progression through the six phases of Letters and Sounds, integrating reading, writing, and spelling skills. Phonics is taught daily, with additional support available up to Year 6, through tailored interventions like Toe by Toe and 1:1 reading sessions.

Our English curriculum is built around the Literacy Tree scheme, a complete, book-based approach using high-quality, diverse children’s literature. This includes both traditional and modern authors across various genres, immersing children in literary worlds through process drama, discussion, and debate. This method encourages engagement, deepens understanding, and allows children to explore themes relevant to their own lives, while also gaining insight into the lives and experiences of others.

Writing is integrated across the curriculum, linking to topics in History and Geography, ensuring that English learning is meaningful and relevant. Children regularly encounter writing tasks for a variety of real-life purposes and audiences, helping them develop the ability to organise, plan, and take ownership of their writing. Grammar and spelling are explicitly taught and reinforced through weekly lessons and spelling practice, with words drawn from statutory key stage lists, high-frequency words, and the Literacy Tree scheme.

Reading progression is supported by our whole-school reading scheme, Bug Club, which provides levelled texts across a wide range of genres and interests. Children take home reading books, which are regularly changed and adjusted to ensure they continue to progress. Fluency and comprehension are taught explicitly, with a focus on skills such as prediction, inference, and expression.

In addition to their reading books, children participate in daily Guided Reading lessons, where they explore various texts, develop their understanding through questioning, and express their thoughts through discussion. Our vibrant library is central to our reading culture, stocked with a broad selection of books from both classic and contemporary authors. Children are encouraged to borrow books, suggest new authors, and share recommendations with peers. Our Class 4 pupils help maintain the library and promote a love of reading schoolwide.

To further engage children, we hold regular Book Days, Book Fairs, and mixed-age reading sessions. Children are read to at the end of each day, helping to foster a deep love of stories and books. Our library borrowing figures continue to rise, particularly among KS2 boys, reflecting the growing enthusiasm for reading across the school.

In writing, we emphasise cross-curricular opportunities for children to write for different purposes and audiences, making writing relevant and engaging. Tasks are carefully planned, so children understand how to apply their writing skills in real-life contexts. Spelling is taught daily in Key Stage 1 through phonics lessons and is reinforced in Key Stage 2 through weekly tests and targeted interventions for those needing extra support.

At Bishop Hooper, we are committed to ensuring every child becomes a confident, enthusiastic reader and writer, equipped for academic success and a lifelong love of learning.

Impact

By the time students leave Bishop Hooper, they are confident, competent readers with the ability to engage in thoughtful discussions about books, express preferences, make recommendations, and evaluate an author’s language and its impact on the reader. They will have developed a strong enthusiasm for exploring a range of genres and will be equipped to use reading as a tool for research, enhancing their understanding across all areas of the curriculum. Students will confidently communicate their findings to a wide audience.

In writing, pupils will make strong progress from their individual starting points. By the end of Key Stage 2, they will be able to write clearly and accurately, adjusting language and style to suit different purposes, contexts, and audiences. They will enjoy using a rich vocabulary and demonstrate a strong command of written language. Above all, they will have developed a genuine love for writing, equipped with the skills and confidence to succeed in their future educational journey.