Oracy

Vision:

To empower every child to find, build, and use their voice with confidence, clarity, and purpose. We believe spoken language and active listening are fundamental life skills that enable all pupils - regardless of background or starting point - to articulate their thoughts, engage in meaningful dialogue, and succeed across the curriculum and beyond.

Curriculum Drivers:

Through our Oracy curriculum, pupils explore possibilities by learning to articulate ideas, present arguments, and engage with diverse perspectives; create with increasing independence as they progress from structured paired dialogue to self-authored speeches, storytelling, and performances; and build lasting resilience by developing the courage to speak publicly, adapt their communication, and view confidence as a skill to be practised rather than a fixed personality trait.

Intent:

Mastery of Core Strands (Mighty Oak Framework): Explicitly teach physical (body language, gesture, eye contact), vocal (tone, projection, pace), cognitive (structure, reasoning), and social-emotional (active listening, audience awareness) skills through the Speak to One, Speak to a Few, Speak to Many framework.
Progressive Spoken Communication: Ensure structured, age-appropriate progression from Year 1 through Year 6 - moving from poetry, performance, and expressive speaking to structured speech writing and storytelling.
Inclusive & Equitable Voice: Provide an accessible, scaffolded oracy framework that removes barriers for SEND, neurodivergent, SEMH, and EAL learners, ensuring every pupil participates meaningfully.

Implementation:

Weekly Dedicated Oracy Lessons: Delivery of a structured weekly lesson (via the Mighty Oak programme) fitting naturally into half-termly units from Year 1 to Year 6.
Two-Layer Learning Architecture:
- Layer 1 (Foundation): Explicit teaching of fundamental communication skills using the Speak to One, Speak to a Few, and Speak to Many model.
- Layer 2 (Application Modules): Application of core skills into ambitious, age-appropriate contexts including Poetry & Performance (Y2), Expressive Speaking (Y3), Speech Delivery (Y4), Storytelling (Y5), and Formal Speech Writing (Y6).
Cross-Curricular Talk & Low-Stakes Practice: Embedding shared oracy vocabulary, talk rules, and visual scaffolding across all subjects to encourage purposeful classroom discussion without high-pressure exposure.

Intended Impact:

By the time children leave primary school, they see themselves as articulate, empathetic, and confident communicators. They possess the physical, vocal, and cognitive tools to express their opinions, listen actively, and adapt their speech to any audience or setting - equipping them with essential communication skills for secondary school and adult life.