Oracy is a fundamental skill that underpins learning, personal development, and future success. Kayleigh Valentini and Juliet McCullion discuss how to weave opportunities to create confident speakers into the everyday classroom
Work to do: Ofsted has said that too few schools have a clear curriculum in place to develop pupils’ spoken language - Adobe Stock

Oracy is a set of skills which should be nurtured from the early years through to secondary education, empowering children to think critically, communicate effectively, and participate confidently in society.

Indeed, the recently published Oracy Education Commission report – We need to talk – positions oracy as the "fourth R," alongside reading, writing, and arithmetic.

The commission defines oracy as intrinsic to children’s development, social and emotional wellbeing, and their ability to engage constructively in debate and discussion.

It enables children to test their thoughts, develop confidence, and build essential life-skills, such as negotiation, persuasion, and active listening. In a world which appears to be increasingly polarised, these abilities are vital for fostering empathy and respectful dialogue.

 

Schools and oracy education

Many leaders have already made oracy development a core priority in their school. Typically, this has started with a focus on the curriculum and how it nurtures and builds pupils’ oracy skills.

The Oracy Education Commission suggests that an effective oracy curriculum is built around three key strands:

  1. Learning to talk, listen, and communicate: Ensuring structured progression in spoken language across subject areas.
  2. Learning through talk, listening, and communication: Using classroom dialogue to deepen understanding and engagement.
  3. Learning about talk, listening, and communication: Teaching the features and contexts of spoken language, helping children to adapt their communication appropriately.

An effective approach to the development of pupils’ oracy should be embedded in all subjects, wrapping itself around as well as being deeply rooted within the culture and curriculum of learning in the school.

High-quality oracy education not only supports cognitive development, but also enhances academic performance, and equips children with the tools to express themselves confidently and effectively. A worthwhile endeavour indeed.

The Oracy Education Commission report outlines recommendations for schools, including prioritising all age groups for oracy teaching, adopting evidence-based approaches and embedding oracy in CPD programmes, supporting teachers to model, assess, and develop effective speaking and listening skills, and reflecting oracy’s value in assessment and accountability, thus “recognising spoken language skills as a critical component of learning”.

We know from Ofsted’s English education subject report last year that too few schools have a clear curriculum in place to develop pupils’ spoken language despite the fact that it is well understood that oracy underpins success in reading and writing (Ofsted, 2024).

Ofsted’s recommendation is clear: “Make sure that the national curriculum requirements for spoken language are translated into practice, so that pupils learn how to become competent speakers. This should include opportunities to teach the conventions of spoken language, for example how to present, to debate, and to explain their thinking.”

 

So, how can school leaders thread oracy into the curriculum?

In the rest of this article, we would like to offer primary schools some practical steps for implementation to consider. Useful resources can be found from both Oracy Cambridge and the charity Voice 21. Do also check-out a recent episode of the Headteacher Update Podcast focused on teaching oracy skills.

 

Create a talk-rich environment

Leaders should ensure a wide range of structured opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills. Classroom discussions, structured debates, story-telling, poetry performances and presentations all contribute to a strong oracy culture. Encouraging pupils to articulate their thoughts in different subjects helps reinforce learning and builds confidence. Working as classes to establish ground rules for speaking and listening can help to create an environment that values all contributions and enables all children to feel confident to participate. See Voice 21’s talk tactic resources.

 

Integrate oracy into the curriculum

Rather than treating oracy as a standalone subject, it should be embedded within all curriculum areas, right from the start of pupils’ education. This means designing lessons that incorporate meaningful talk – for example, through paired discussions in maths, role-play in history, performance reading in English, or scientific explanations in STEM subjects.

Subject leaders can support this by explicitly mapping out oracy opportunities across year groups which allow children to engage in talk for different purposes and audiences.

As James Britton told us in the 1970s, “reading and writing float on a sea of talk” – this famous quotation continues to resonate in classrooms today.

 

Model and scaffold effective communication

Teachers play a crucial role in modelling high-quality spoken language. Providing sentence stems, structured talk frameworks, opportunity for oral rehearsal before writing, drama, and clear expectations for discussion help all pupils, including those with SEND or EAL, to engage in meaningful dialogue.

Classroom routines such as purposeful paired talk, peer-to-peer feedback, and structured talk tasks create a supportive environment for developing oracy skills. Metacognition is crucial when modelling learning live, as it helps pupils to develop awareness of their own thought processes, allowing them to see how learners plan, problem-solve, and make decisions in real time.

 

Assess and reflect on oracy skills

Assessing oracy can be challenging, but incorporating structured peer and teacher feedback ensures progression. Using checklists, audio recordings, or self-assessment rubrics can help pupils reflect on their spoken language development. Leaders could also consider how to include oracy within broader assessment strategies.

 

Empower staff with CPD

Oracy should be a key focus of teacher training and CPD. This is an area which is often missed. Staff need support in understanding how to facilitate high-quality discussions, assess spoken language, and scaffold learning effectively.

 

Final thoughts

Professor Neil Mercer from Oracy Cambridge has said: “By teaching all young people how to communicate confidently and effectively through talk, their voices are more likely to be heard. School represents the only chance for many young people to develop a language repertoire for dealing with all kinds of situations.”

Embedding oracy within school culture is essential for equipping children with the confidence, communication skills, and critical thinking abilities they need for future success.

By prioritising talk-rich environments, integrating oracy into the curriculum, and providing high-quality professional development, schools can ensure that every child has the opportunity to become a confident and articulate speaker.

  • Kayleigh Valentini and Juliet McCullion are experienced teachers, English leads and English teaching and learning advisors at HFL Education. Formerly Herts for Learning, HFL Education is a not-for-profit organisation providing services, training and resources for schools, including access to advisers and subject experts. This year Headteacher Update is working with HFL Education to publish a series of subject-specific best practice articles. Find all the articles in this series via www.headteacher-update.com/authors/hfl-education  

 

Further information & resources

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