Intent
All children deserve to have their voice heard. At Leasowe Primary School, we recognise the vital role of oracy in children’s academic progress, social development and emotional wellbeing. Our aim is to ensure every child can speak clearly, confidently and with expression so they can communicate ideas and feelings effectively, listen attentively, and respond thoughtfully to others.
We believe that strong oracy skills empower children to build relationships, share opinions, solve problems, ask questions, explain their thinking and participate fully in discussions and performances. These skills support learning across the entire curriculum and help children grow into articulate, respectful and self‑assured communicators.
Across all subjects, children are given rich opportunities to develop spoken language through discussion, drama, role play and purposeful talk. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, Communication and Language is a prime area of learning. Activities are carefully planned using the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile and Development Matters guidance, ensuring children experience a language‑rich environment filled with stories, songs, poems, hands‑on exploration and high‑quality interactions with adults.
Implementation
At Leasowe Primary School, oracy is taught explicitly and embedded across the curriculum. We use the Voice 21 Oracy Framework to structure teaching and ensure progression in the four key strands: Physical, Linguistic, Cognitive, and Social & Emotional. Teachers plan purposeful opportunities for talk in every subject so that speaking and listening become integral to learning, not an add‑on.
High‑quality modelling is central to our approach. Staff demonstrate clear speech, rich vocabulary, active listening and respectful dialogue. Sentence stems, talk frames and visual supports help children structure their ideas and build confidence. Across the school, pupils take part in a wide range of talk‑rich activities, including:
partner talk and group discussion
drama, role play and hot‑seating
storytelling and oral rehearsal
debates, presentations and performances
questioning, reasoning and problem‑solving tasks
In EYFS, oracy is woven through daily routines and continuous provision. Children experience a language‑rich environment filled with stories, songs, rhymes, high‑quality interactions and carefully planned opportunities to develop vocabulary and communication skills.
As children move through the school, expectations increase in line with our Oracy Progression Map. Pupils learn how to articulate ideas clearly, listen actively, build on others’ contributions, challenge respectfully and adapt their talk for different audiences and purposes.
We also celebrate oracy through whole‑school events such as assemblies, performances, themed days and opportunities to speak to wider audiences. This helps children recognise the value of their voice and develop pride in their communication skills.
Impact
Our approach to oracy ensures that children leave Leasowe Primary School as confident, articulate and thoughtful communicators. They are able to express themselves clearly, listen respectfully, collaborate effectively and use talk to deepen their understanding across the curriculum.
The impact of our oracy provision is seen through:
Improved confidence and self‑esteem in speaking situations
Stronger vocabulary and language development, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
Greater engagement and participation in lessons
Improved reasoning, problem‑solving and critical thinking
Enhanced social skills, including turn‑taking, empathy and respectful dialogue
High‑quality presentations, performances and discussions across the school
Teachers assess oracy continually through observation, questioning, discussion and the use of our Oracy Progression Map. In EYFS, Communication and Language outcomes are tracked using the EYFS Profile and Development Matters guidance. Across the school, pupils are supported to reflect on their own speaking and listening skills and identify next steps.
By the time they leave Year 6, our pupils are equipped with the communication skills they need for secondary school and beyond — able to speak with clarity, listen with respect and use their voice with confidence and purpose.
How We Teach Oracy at Leasowe
We teach oracy skills in many different ways so that children develop a deep, flexible understanding of how talk works. Across the school, pupils take part in a wide range of structured speaking and listening activities, including:
Paired talk
Group discussion
Debating
Drama and role play
Presentations and performances
Teachers plan lessons with oracy in mind, ensuring that every child is supported to develop their speaking and listening skills. Lessons are structured so that pupils can practise talk in meaningful contexts, build confidence and learn how to communicate effectively.
To support this, teachers use a range of strategies such as:
Sentence stems to scaffold talk and help children express ideas clearly
Talk tactics to support turn‑taking, questioning, building on others’ ideas and discussing differing viewpoints
Modelling of high‑quality spoken language, active listening and respectful dialogue
Visual prompts and vocabulary supports to help children organise and extend their talk
Through these approaches, children learn not only what to say, but how to say it — developing clarity, confidence and purpose in their communication.
Oracy at Leasowe Primary School
Oracy is all about helping children learn to speak and listen with confidence. It includes how they express themselves, how they listen to others, and how they use talk to make sense of the world. Just as reading and writing build literacy, and maths builds numeracy, oracy develops confident speakers and thoughtful listeners.
At Leasowe Primary School, we see oracy as a vital life skill. Strong speaking and listening help children to build friendships, share ideas, solve problems, ask questions, explain their thinking and take part in discussions, performances and presentations. Good oracy supports learning in every subject and helps children grow into articulate, respectful and self‑assured communicators.
We use a student‑friendly version of the Voice 21 Oracy Framework across the school. This helps children understand the different strands of oracy and talk about their learning in simple, age‑appropriate language. As pupils move through the school, their skills develop in a carefully sequenced way: early foundations are strengthened, new techniques are introduced, and vocabulary becomes more ambitious and subject‑specific.
The framework supports children to speak with confidence, clarity and purpose, enabling them to communicate effectively in discussions, presentations, performances and everyday interactions.
To find out more about what oracy looks like in action, you can watch this short video created by Voice 21.
Click on the image below to view the video.
Oracy Assemblies
Every week, we share the latest Picture News with children during a dedicated whole‑school assembly. Using the high‑quality images and resources provided, we introduce a current issue or question designed to spark curiosity, discussion and reflection. The weekly “big picture” is also displayed prominently in school so that children can revisit the theme and continue conversations throughout the week.
Picture News plays a key role in developing oracy across the school. Children are given structured opportunities to speak with confidence, listen respectfully, debate ideas and express opinions in both formal and informal contexts. These discussions help pupils communicate clearly, think critically and engage thoughtfully with the world around them.
Picture News also supports our work on British Values, enabling children to explore important issues in a planned, age‑appropriate and sensitive way. Through these discussions, pupils deepen their understanding of Protected Characteristics and the UN Rights of the Child, helping them develop empathy, respect and a strong sense of social responsibility.
