Oracy

At East Hunsbury Primary School, we are committed to giving every child a voice. Oracy is the golden thread we are beginning to weave through all aspects of learning, as spoken language underpins thinking, understanding, and collaboration. We believe children should not only learn how to talk well but also learn through talk, developing confidence, well-being, and social equality for all.

Since 2024, we have started our journey in partnership with Voice 21, the UK’s leading oracy education charity, to build a robust, research-informed curriculum. This framework is helping us embed oracy across subjects, ensuring pupils develop physical, linguistic, cognitive, and social-emotional skills for effective communication.

In practice, oracy is becoming increasingly evident in classrooms through strategies such as talk partners, structured discussions, debates and exploratory talk. Teachers use dialogic approaches to encourage reasoning, questioning, and collaborative problem-solving. Pupils are beginning to learn explicit skills—listening, turn-taking, and using precise vocabulary - which they apply across English, maths, science, and the arts.

Although we are at the start of this exciting journey, the impact is already clear: pupils are gaining confidence in speaking, improving vocabulary, and developing the ability to articulate ideas and reasoning. Over time, this will lead to deeper understanding and improved attainment, particularly in writing and reading comprehension. 

Beyond academics, oracy supports personal development, enabling pupils to express themselves effectively and engage positively with others - preparing them for life beyond school.

Keep an eye on this webpage as we update it with more resources which reflects our developments and progress in this area.