Rockbeare Primary School places a strong emphasis on developing oracy skills.  Through engaging activities, discussions and presentations, children learn to express themselves confidently, listen actively and communicate effectively.  Oracy is woven into the curriculum, fostering a supportive environment where children can articulate their thought, collaborate and build essential communication skills. 

Oracy is the foundation of effective communication.  It empowers individuals to express their ideas, engage in meaningful conversations and collaborate with others.  Developing strong oracy skills is essential for success in education, work and social interactions.

All the staff at Rockbeare has had Voice 21 training as we believe that it is essential to develop children's speaking and listening skills.  The Voice 21 programme believe:

'In school, oracy is a powerful tool for learning; by teaching students to become more effective speakers and listeners we empower them to better understand themselves, each other and the world around them. It is also a route to social mobility, empowering all students, not just some, to find their voice to succeed in school and life.'

'Oracy should be taught in every lesson'

Whether embedded across the curriculum or taught discretely, teachers should be incorporating day to day strategies into their teaching. (as outlined in the FFT strategy below) Strategies such as modelling, setting clear expectations, encouraging pupils to interact with one another, and providing regular feedback regarding what pupils say are all key. In order to support staff in planning effective and progressive oral skills, a ‘Progression in Language Structures’ document has been created as a set of suggestions about children’s language development and examples of sentence stems that can be used, across the age phases.  

Assessment of oracy

The Oracy Framework, developed in conjunction with teachers at School 21 and Cambridge University, provides a lens through which to view the oracy skills required to engage in effective group talk, and can be an effective way of framing the teaching of these skills. Deciding on the purpose of assessment informs the process. Oracy can be assessed in order to make rapid decisions about what a child or children need to learn next. Children's talk during whole-class sessions or during group activities can be used to assess not only their spoken language skills but also their learning in curriculum subjects. Such everyday assessment can influence planning to meet the needs identified.