Djamila Boothman, Assistant Principal and Teach First Trustee & Ambassador
Why isn’t everyone talking about oracy?
‘Why are so many people talking about oracy recently?’ a colleague whispers to me during a staff training session on the topic. I chuckle because of course, I’ve noticed that following Sir Keir Starmer’s emphasis on integrating oracy into the curriculum in July 2023, there has been a renewed conversation (and in many cases an inaugural conversation) about the need for explicit teaching of speaking skills. I want to be able to jump down from my high horse here and just be grateful that finally people are recognising how fundamentally important this is. However, I cannot help but feel irritated by the idea of politicians granting educators the permission to do what we know we should have been doing all along. I find myself indignantly whispering back, ‘Why isn’t everyone talking about oracy? Why has it taken so long for educators and schools to recognise the need to be focusing on it?’
Our everyday reality
Those of us who spend our days in classrooms are aware of our students’ needs as well as being privy to the gaps that exist between those who know how to communicate well and those who do not. We experience firsthand the stark contrast in interactions that take place in lessons and recognise where young people fall short, observing the struggle of many to respond appropriately, make eye-contact, or read body language at the same time as watching other students raise their hands, volunteer to read and keenly answer questions. We praise those who answer in full sentences, elaborating and possessing the ability to enthral others with their animated gestures, facial expressions and well-delivered anecdotes. This extends beyond the classroom as we experience conversations with those who have been empowered to use their voices effectively. We recognise their preparedness for successful interactions on a professional and personal level. In fact, as adults in school, we actively engage and enjoy chit-chat with the students who politely ask us about our weekends or initiate conversations about current affairs, and we often dedicate extra time to those who are confident enough to ask for additional support with personal statements for example.
How oracy links to social mobility
I think this is where the root of my frustration lies: addressing oracy in schools is absolutely and undeniably an act of tackling social disadvantage. It is the bridge that we build between the children who have found and use their voices to actively engage in discussion around the dinner table and socially with family and friends and those who may not have a dinner table or home life that presents this type of opportunity. For many students, there are limited opportunities to practise and improve their speaking skills.
Put simply: if we do not teach oracy in school, a significant number of students fall further behind and the disadvantage gap is widened. We must explicitly teach and maintain high expectations of how our students speak. This relates to how they talk about their subject-specific knowledge as well as how they talk about themselves and the world around them. The confidence and conviction with which they speak determines the quality and outcomes of their interactions.
Proving the success of an oracy intervention in school is not straightforward but research carried out by the Education Endowment Foundation found oral language intervention to have a ‘very high impact for very low cost’ identifying an average of 6 months’ additional progress over the course of a year. I would encourage anyone who works in schools to take some steps towards addressing oracy. I am pleased to say that oracy has always held an unapologetic and prominent place in my classroom and teaching it to Year 7 students (once weekly) has served as a wonderful transition into secondary school: establishing a culture of speaking confidently, listening intently and contributing enthusiastically and meaningfully. It was the success of these lessons that led to the creation of my teaching pack, Develop Brilliant Speaking.
Getting started
Teaching oracy is an act that can be incorporated consistently across the curriculum and tackled at a whole-school level by identifying some key non-negotiables, communicating clearly with all stakeholders, and building upon over time to ensure that the entire school community strives towards supporting students to speak more confidently and skilfully in their personal and academic lives.
If you are a teacher, you likely enjoy the sound of your own voice, but do you remember how and where you found it? It probably included plenty of encouragement, a safe space to practise and make mistakes. This is where you should start! Establishing a supportive culture of oracy is critical to give all students to opportunity to develop their confidence in making themselves heard. It is imperative to embed and incorporate opportunities to speak into Key Stage 3 so that it is not only accepted as part and parcel of participation in professional spaces but also seen as something to enjoy; an opportunity to share thinking, express yourself and to build relationships. Managing the narrative around this is as important as the delivery of the teaching of it.
Develop Brilliant Speaking builds oracy skills to empower every child, supporting social mobility and equity from Year 7. Slot into your KS3 schemes of work with pre-prepared and tested lesson plans, PowerPoints, videos and worksheets in one customisable teacher pack for the whole department.
NB: Shortened versions of this article also featured in Education Today and Teach Secondary’s January 2025 editions.