Oracy
Intent
At Park Primary School, our oracy curriculum is designed so that all pupils become confident, articulate and effective communicators who can express their ideas clearly and listen with respect. We believe that developing oracy is fundamental to pupils’ cognitive, social and linguistic growth and underpins successful learning across the whole curriculum. Our intent is that pupils learn to use spoken language with purpose, adapting their talk for a range of audiences and contexts — from collaborative group work to presentations, debates, discussions and reflections. We place oracy at the heart of our curriculum so that pupils build vocabulary, deepen understanding and develop the confidence to draw on talk to support their thinking and learning. A strong focus on oracy also supports positive relationships, pupils’ self-esteem and their preparation for secondary school and life beyond.
Implementation
- Talk-rich classrooms: Teachers intentionally plan opportunities for high-quality talk in all subjects, where speaking and listening are integral to learning. Pupils are taught to listen actively, respond respectfully, build on others’ ideas and justify their thinking.
- Structured oracy approaches: We use talk strategies such as guided questions, sentence stems and scaffolded dialogue to support learners of all abilities to participate with confidence.
- Progression of skills: From Reception through Year 6 oracy skills are explicitly mapped, ensuring clear progression in pupils’ ability to communicate for different purposes — for example, explaining reasoning in mathematics, discussing historical viewpoints or presenting information in science.
- Modelled talk and vocabulary development: Teachers model precise language and introduce subject-specific vocabulary to support cognitive development and help pupils articulate complex ideas.
- Opportunities beyond the classroom: Pupils are encouraged to develop oracy through debate clubs, assemblies, collaborative projects, drama, performances and presentations to real audiences.
Impact
- Confident communicators: Pupils speak with clarity, fluency and confidence in a range of situations — from classroom discussions to formal presentations.
- Enhanced learning: Oracy supports pupils’ understanding, enabling them to explain their thinking, articulate subject knowledge and use talk to secure deeper learning across the curriculum.
- Stronger listening skills: Pupils listen attentively to others, respond appropriately and build on contributions, demonstrating respect and empathy.
- Vocabulary and thinking: Children use a widening range of vocabulary accurately and confidently, which strengthens their writing and reading as well as their spoken language.
- Positive personal development: Pupils develop resilience, collaborative skills and self-confidence that support their engagement and wellbeing in school life and beyond.