Building the Foundations for Fluent Oracy

What is Oracy?

Oracy is the ability to express ideas, thoughts and feelings clearly through spoken language, and to listen actively and respond thoughtfully to others. In our primary school, from Nursery through to Year 6, oracy is at the heart of learning. It underpins how children communicate, collaborate, think deeply and build confidence as learners and as individuals.

Why We Value Talk for Learning

We believe that talk is fundamental to learning. Before children can read and write effectively, they need rich opportunities to speak and listen. Through purposeful talk, children explore new ideas, clarify their thinking, rehearse language, and make sense of the world around them.

Oracy supports:

• Thinking and understanding – talking helps children organise ideas, question, reason and reflect

• Language development – vocabulary, sentence structure and confidence grow through structured and spontaneous talk

• Social and emotional skills – children learn to listen respectfully, take turns, agree, disagree and empathise

• Equity and inclusion – valuing every voice ensures all children feel heard and able to participate

By prioritising oracy, we empower children to become articulate, confident communicators who can express themselves clearly and listen with respect.

What Oracy Looks Like in Our School

Oracy is woven into everyday practice across all year groups.

• From Nursery and Reception, children develop early communication through stories, songs, role play, talk-rich environments and adult modelling of language. They are encouraged to name feelings, explain choices and share experiences.

• In Key Stage 1, children build confidence speaking in full sentences, asking questions, retelling stories and participating in paired and small-group discussions.

• In Key Stage 2, pupils refine their spoken language through debate, presentations, drama, collaborative problem-solving and structured discussions, learning how to adapt their talk for different purposes and audiences.

Across the school, you will see:

• Teachers explicitly teaching and modelling good speaking and listening

• Clear expectations for respectful listening and turn-taking

• Talk partners, group discussion and opportunities for exploratory talk

• Children using talk to plan, explain, justify and reflect on their learning

• Vocabulary-rich classrooms where language is celebrated

Our Commitment to Oracy

We value every child’s voice. By creating a culture where talk is encouraged, structured and purposeful, we help children develop the confidence and skills they need not only to succeed academically, but to thrive beyond the classroom. Oracy is not an add-on; it is a foundation for learning, relationships and lifelong success.

Our Oracy Curriculum

At our school, oracy is taught through a carefully designed curriculum that develops children’s spoken language and communication skills from Nursery to Year 6. We recognise that confident, effective communication is essential for learning, wellbeing and future success. Our oracy curriculum is structured around the four interlinked strands of oracy, ensuring children are supported to speak and listen with confidence, purpose and respect in a wide range of contexts.

The Four Strands of Oracy

Oracy in Practice

Oracy is embedded throughout school life. Teachers plan purposeful opportunities for discussion, partner talk, group work, drama, debate and presentation. Expectations for high-quality talk are made explicit and consistently reinforced, ensuring that all children are supported to participate and that every voice is valued.

Through our oracy curriculum, pupils develop the confidence, skills and language they need to communicate effectively, think deeply and engage positively with the world around them.