Phonics assessment that keeps up with your class, not fills up your evenings.
Hearo helps teachers and TAs run one-to-one phonics checks in real time. It sequences the next grapheme for each child automatically and turns every session straight into statutory-ready reporting — no spreadsheet required.
Data hosted on UK & EU servers · Schools stay the data controller
Try it — tap a response and watch Hearo pick the next sound
Three steps, and the paperwork writes itself
Hearo follows the shape of the assessment you already run — it just takes care of all the laborious paperwork that used to happen after the fact.
Pick a pupil and start
Choose a Regular Assessment by phase or a Skill Focus — graphemes, blending, or common exception words.
Score the flashcards as they appear
Each sound or word appears on screen, the pupil reads it, and you record their response with one tap. Hearo moves on automatically.
Get a summary, not a spreadsheet
The session ends on completion — or on its own if it spots consistent difficulty. Either way you get an instant summary of sounds to practise next.
Everything a phonics lead actually needs
Nothing here is decorative — every feature exists to give you back time you're currently spending on admin.
Smart sequencing
Each session adapts to what a child already knows, so no time is wasted re-testing sounds they've already mastered.
A dashboard that flags what needs attention
Every pupil shows as On Track or Not on Track at a glance, with the specific gaps behind that status ready when a governor or Ofsted asks.
Built for TAs too
No specialist training required — a class list and five minutes is all it takes to run a first session confidently.
Matches your SSP
Grapheme order follows your school's own Systematic Synthetic Phonics scheme, not a generic sequence.
Early phonics intervention is the highest-leverage thing a school can do
The case for getting this right early is well established — Hearo just makes it easier to act on.
Gap in the Phonics Screening Check pass rate between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils.
Adults in England estimated to have very poor literacy skills — a gap that starts in the early years.
Built by people who've sat in the classroom
Hearo is a small, UK-based team working directly with schools to build something teachers actually want to use.
Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour is a trained primary teacher and also an award-winning journalist, having written for all the UK's main national newspapers for over two decades. Having completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Bristol (Politics and French), he won a scholarship to study at Cornell University in the US before starting working for The Times. In 2010 he completed a PGCE at the University of the West of England before returning to journalism.
"As a parent of two and married to a primary school Deputy Head teacher, I understand just how time poor schools are — that should not get in the way of giving every single child the chance they deserve to love reading."
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Ruby George
Ruby George is currently a reception teacher and assistant head within a diverse inner city primary school with responsibilities for the Early Years Foundation Stage and Phonics. Her outstanding practice and exceptional knowledge of how children from 0–5 learn and develop has led her to become a Specialist Leader of Education, supporting schools in developing and maintaining excellent outcomes for all pupils. It is within this role that Ruby found her passion of being able to impart her love for phonics onto others and witness the impact high quality phonics has on children's lives.
"In all of my teaching career, I haven't yet found a phonics app to successfully support the children's and teacher's learning journey. Hearo takes care of the admin to let the teachers get on with teaching and the learners with learning. As Dr. Seuss once said, 'The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.'"
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Kenvor Cothey
Kenvor Cothey studied physics and computer science at Balliol College, Oxford, before building a career spanning more than two decades in quantitative finance and fintech. Throughout his career, he has applied quantitative discipline and scientific methods to data — extracting practical insight and translating it into productive value. Kenvor brings to Hearo a demonstrated ability to envision solutions to difficult problems through the application of quantitative and technological expertise, driven by a passion for creation, enablement and meaningful, lasting impact.
"I'm excited by this opportunity to make teachers' workflows more efficient while improving prospects for young readers. By applying technology to make life easier for teachers and children alike, we hope to inspire generations to read, know and understand more — and ultimately to lead fulfilled, knowledge-rich lives."
LinkedIn
James Sopper
James Sopper is an engineer and experienced technology innovator. Having graduated from Imperial College, London with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, James has been involved with several successful projects ranging from automotive design to athletic performance in elite sport.
"As a father to two young boys I'm constantly struck by the way teaching methods have evolved since I was at school and as an engineer my 'see a problem, fix a problem' mindset was immediately engaged when I saw just how onerous the reporting requirements are for phonics teachers — I got to thinking 'there must be a better way'. Hearo is the answer."
LinkedInFrequently asked questions
Most of what schools ask us is about data protection and GDPR — so we've answered those in detail below. You can also read our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions in full, or download our DPIA template for schools.
Does Hearo replace my professional judgement?
No. You still listen to every response and decide correct or needs-practice — Hearo handles the sequencing and the paperwork, not the assessment itself.
Do pupils use Hearo directly?
No — Hearo is entirely teacher- and TA-facing. Children never log in, hold accounts, or interact with the platform themselves. All pupil data is entered and managed by authorised school staff, and you run the session and record the outcome on their behalf.
Will it work with our school's phonics scheme?
Yes. Hearo is configured to follow your school's own Systematic Synthetic Phonics programme, so the grapheme order matches what you already teach.
Is Hearo UK GDPR compliant?
Yes. Hearo Phonics Ltd is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO registration number ZC167612) and operates in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. All pupil data is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) servers in the UK or EEA, protected by encryption in transit and at rest, multi-factor authentication and role-based access controls. Full detail is in our Privacy Policy and the data protection terms in Schedule 1 of our Terms & Conditions.
Who is the data controller and who is the data processor?
Your school is the data controller — it determines the purposes and means of processing pupil data. Hearo acts as the data processor, processing that data only on your documented instructions under the controller–processor terms set out in Schedule 1 of our Terms & Conditions. In most cases the lawful basis for processing pupil data therefore rests with the school.
Do you have a DPIA we can use?
Yes. We provide a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) template for schools that you can download, complete and keep on file. It covers the nature of the processing, the pupil data involved (including special category SEND data), risks and mitigations, and retention — everything your DPO or governors are likely to want to see before rolling Hearo out.
What pupil data does Hearo collect?
Teachers and SENCOs may enter pupils' names, year group and class, special educational needs and disability (SEND) information, and phonics progress and assessment records. The platform also makes voice recordings for phonics assessment, and automatically collects limited technical data (such as IP address and device type) for security and maintenance. A full breakdown is in Annex B of our Terms & Conditions.
How is SEND (special category) data protected?
SEND information is special category data under Article 9 of the UK GDPR and carries extra protections. Within the platform it is accessible only to the class teacher and SENCO assigned to that pupil's account — Hearo staff cannot access individual pupils' SEND data. It remains the school's responsibility to ensure it has a sufficient lawful basis, including explicit parental or guardian consent where required, before entering SEND data.
What happens to the voice recordings?
Voice recordings are used solely for phonics assessment. At the point of recording each one is classified as correct or incorrect, and immediately afterwards every link between the recording and the pupil's personal information is permanently and irreversibly removed. The recordings are then held only in fully anonymised form and are no longer personal data.
How long is pupil data kept, and what happens if we leave?
Identifiable pupil data is retained for three years from the date a pupil leaves the school, then securely deleted. If a school does not renew its subscription, all identifiable pupil data is securely deleted 90 days after expiry, and you'll be notified before deletion takes place. Anonymised voice recordings sit outside this schedule as they no longer identify any individual.
Where is pupil data stored, and can it leave the UK?
Data is stored on AWS servers in the UK or EEA and is not transferred outside the UK or EEA without appropriate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) in place. Our only authorised sub-processor is AWS, for secure cloud storage in UK/EU regions.
How do parents exercise their data protection rights?
Parents and guardians can access, correct, update or request deletion of their child's data. As the school holds the subscription and acts as controller, parents should contact the school in the first instance, and the school can then liaise with us to action the request. We respond to requests within one month. Full detail of the rights available is in our Privacy Policy.
How do we get started?
Get in touch below and we'll set up a short demo, talk through your school's SSP, and get your class list configured.
Let's take the admin off your plate
Tell us a bit about your school and we'll get back to you within one working day.