Bishop Perowne Reading
Our Ethos
At Bishop Perowne, we are passionate about developing a lifelong love of reading and Literature.
The English curriculum is designed by teachers who love reading, to inspire a love in our students. We are proud of the diverse exposure of fiction and non-fiction texts across our curriculum. However, we acknowledge that reading is not just the responsibility of English teachers and offer a range of whole school opportunities to develop this vital skill.
The Study Centre
The Study Centre provides a quiet space to read independently during the school day.
Open before and after school, as well as during break and lunch times, all pupils are welcome to visit and borrow a book from our broad, diverse collection (over 10,000!).
Our dedicated Study Centre Manager, Mrs Long, is also available to offer advice and recommendations on books. All students in Key Stage 3 are offered an opportunity to visit the Study Centre as part of their English curriculum time to choose new reading books with the support of Mrs Long.
Curriculum provision
We provide ongoing training to staff meaning they are confident in the teaching methods required to support reading across the curriculum.
In all subjects across the school, pupils will complete ‘Reading Rules’ activities, ensuring all subjects provide a consistent experience in terms of reading for meaning and using the information gained from a text effectively.
Drop Everything and Read
Known as ‘DEAR’ in school, Drop Everything and Read gives all pupils in Years 7-10 a chance to read for pleasure every day. For 15 minutes of the day, all pupils read independently in silence to improve reading proficiency and develop their vocabulary.
Did you know?
Reading for just fifteen minutes per day builds empathy for others, creates a strong vocabulary, and positively affects and boosts your mental and physical health. Students who participate in daily reading achieve, on average, two grades higher in all GCSE subjects than those who don’t!
Form time Reading
In form time, we read a variety of diverse fiction and non-fiction texts which encompass the school values: Respect, Compassion, Integrity and Resilience. We use the Reading Rules structure familiar to students.
This gives students the opportunity to build their understanding of the world around them, whilst practising their oracy and literacy skills, enabling their confidence to voice their opinions.
Cultural Capital and Enrichment
All Year 7 students visit The Hive as part of our Enrichment programme. This trip is designed to allow students the opportunity to become a member of this local establishment – and open a whole new world of books at their fingertips (for free!) whilst also exploring career opportunities linked to reading.
We also have an in-school book club, run by Mr Brady and Mrs Long. Students can discuss and share the books they are reading, as well as work together to read and review books for prestigious awards such as the Carnegie Award.
Reading Support
All students have their reading age tested (using NGRT) at the beginning and end of Year 7. For our students who require additional support to bring their reading ages up to the necessary level, we have a wide range of group and 1:1 reading interventions that take place through our SEND team.
The interventions are led by our specialist literacy learning assistant, who is trained in the phonics approach to the teaching of reading.
English Lessons
Year 7
In English, pupils will all read War Horse by Michael Morpurgo as part of their Literature education in the Autumn term, and extracts from Welcome to Nowhere as well as linked poetry and non-fiction in the Summer term.
Year 7 will also begin to read Shakespearean texts, starting with Romeo and Juliet in the Spring term.
Year 8
In English, pupils will all read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins in the Autumn term. Students in Year 8 get the opportunity to read a modern drama Noughts and Crosses in the Spring term, before looking at a selection of diverse poetry in the Summer term.
Year 9
For their Autumn term Literature study, pupils will read Malorie Blackman’s Boys Don’t Cry. All pupils will also begin reading Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the Spring term, then a range of conflict poetry and speeches, articles and letters linked to conflict in the Summer term.
Year 10
Pupils in Year 10 will study a range of Literature texts as part of their GCSE studies. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is studied in full, as well as the Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol in the Autumn term.
The modern play An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley is read in Spring term, followed by a selection of poetry from the 19th and 20th centuries as part of the ’Power and Conflict’ anthology in the Summer term.
Year 11
In Year 11, students continue to revisit their GCSE Literature texts from Year 10, whilst also reading a range of Victorian and modern fiction and non-fiction extracts from short stories, novels, autobiographies, letters, newspapers and journals.
To find out more about the English Curriculum have a look at our subject page.
