Oracy

We are a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence 2026

We are proud to have been recognised as a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence for our work in developing students' oracy (speaking, listening and communication) skills.

Becoming a Voice 21 Centre of Excellence certifies and celebrates that we are leading the way in providing a high-quality oracy education for students and acting as a beacon of good practice for over 1200+ Voice 21 Oracy Schools nationwide.

In Voice 21 Oracy Schools, students learn the oracy skills they need to succeed in school and in life.

Why oracy matters?

Oracy, like reading, writing and arithmetic, is a foundational skill that ensures students thrive at school and in life. By teaching students to become effective communicators, we empower them to better understand themselves, each other and the world around them.

Speaking, listening, and communication skills are critical foundations for reading and writing.
On average, oral language approaches have a high impact on pupil outcomes of 6 months’ additional progress.
Young people with good communication skills are less likely to have mental health difficulties.
Young people with good communication skills are less likely to have mental health difficulties.

As a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence, we put oracy at the heart of our teaching and learning across all subject areas, enabling students to develop and deepen their knowledge and understanding through talk in the classroom.

We support our students to become articulate communicators who are able to present themselves confidently across a range of settings and contexts, from group discussions to formal presentations.

In Voice 21 Oracy Schools:

86% of students agree that it's important to be a good speaker and listener
77% of teachers said that oracy had boosted attainment.
79% of teachers said that oracy is an essential part of teaching and learning.

Find out more about oracy and Voice 21 here

About Voice 21

We believe that schools have the power to change a child’s life and create a fairer society. Oracy sets children up for success in school and life. Voice 21 supports schools to deliver high-quality oracy education by ensuring speaking, listening, and communication is part of the curriculum, teaching and wider school life.

Oracy is articulating ideas, developing understanding and engaging with others through speaking, listening and communication. It supports children to get the best start in life and be ready to learn.

We work in the schools in which we can make the biggest difference. In Voice 21 schools, you will hear students solving problems collaboratively in maths and dissecting arguments in history, talking through conflicts in the playground and leading assemblies. Like literacy and numeracy, oracy is teachable. It is foundational for learning, work, creating healthy relationships with other people, and building stronger communities.

Oracy: Finding Our Voice, Shaping Our School

"At St Aidan’s, we don’t just learn to talk; we talk to learn—and we speak to lead."

Our Oracy Week: A Culture of Communication

We provide protected time every week to ensure every child at St Aidan's develops the confidence to articulate their ideas and the empathy to listen to others.

Talk on Tuesdays: Our protected, "gold-standard" oracy time. These sessions are dedicated solely to the explicit teaching of oracy skills, allowing children to reflect on their progress and master the four strands of the Oracy Framework.

Talk on Tuesday sessions

The Importance of Listening

Consensus Circle

Chairing a Conversation

Using Traverse

How Do I Feel About Oracy - Part 1

How Do I Feel About Oracy - Part 2

The Role of Oracy in Maths - Part 1

The Role of Oracy in Math - Part 2

Talk Assemblies

Talk Assemblies (Wednesdays): Led by our staff Oracy Champions, these assemblies facilitate high-quality whole-school dialogue. We tackle big questions, using our collective voice to explore world issues and school life.

WildFires Talk Worship

Children's Mental Health Week Talk Worship

School Family Talk Worship

Seeing Ourselves Talk Worship

Year of Reading Talk Worship

Earth Medal Talk Worship

Respect in Action Talk Worship

Talk and Tales (Afternoons): We open our doors to the community! Parents are welcomed into KS1 to join our Oracy journey, learning alongside their children to help our youngest voices flourish.

The "ALWAYS" School Council: Advocacy in Action

At St Aidan’s, the School Council isn't just a committee—it’s a half-termly event where every single child has a voice. We meet in our mixed-year House Teams to facilitate rich, pupil-led discussions:

Voice to Vision: Real Changes We’ve Made

We believe that when children speak, things should change. Here are three examples of how student oracy has directly reshaped our school:

From Boredom to "ALWAYS Play"

The Talk: Children shared that playtimes lacked imagination and creativity. The Action: We invested in ALWAYS Play, transforming the playground into pedagogical zones. Now, our Year 6 Sports Crew use their oracy skills to lead and facilitate creative play every single breaktime.

Introducing "SHINE DINE"

The Talk: Pupils told us that lunchtimes felt loud, busy, and overwhelming. The Action: We reduced the number of classes in the hall and created a carousel structure. Now, two year groups at a time enjoy a calmer, fairer environment designed for social flourishing.

"DINE and DIALOGUE"

The Talk: Students noticed they weren't actually talking to each other while eating. The Action: Our Oracy Champions, along with the Head Boy and Head Girl, now lead Dine and Dialogue. Daily topics are provided to facilitate debates using different oracy strands and dialects, ensuring lunchtime is as intellectually nourishing as it is physical.

Oracy Assessment & Home Learning

Marking & Feedback: Our Oracy Marking Policy ensures that spoken contributions are valued as highly as written work. Teachers provide "live" feedback on the four strands to help children up-level their speech in the moment.
Oracy Newsletters: Each week, our "Talk Homework" is sent home to parents, providing specific prompts to keep the conversation going around the dinner table.
Oracy Star of the Week: We celebrate the progress of our orators, from those finding their initial confidence to those mastering complex debate.

Dine and Dialogue

Oracy: The Golden Thread of Our Curriculum

At St Aidan’s, Oracy is the golden thread that allows all learning to accelerate. It is not merely an "add-on" but a priority at the heart of our curriculum planning. Every lesson is carefully adapted and tailored with specific Oracy outcomes in mind, ensuring that as children gain knowledge, they also gain the power to express it.

Throughout every unit of work, pupils utilise a sophisticated toolkit to sharpen their communication:

Talk Tactics: Pupils learn to Instigate, Build, Challenge, and Summarise ideas.
Dynamic Groupings: From Pairs and Trios to Nesting and Harkness circles, children learn to navigate different social contexts.
Protocols for Talk: We use Talk Tokens, Listening Ladders, and Discussion Guidelines to ensure every voice is heard and valued.

Showcasing Our Learning Through Voice

While Oracy happens daily, the "finish line" of our units is often an Oracy Outcome—a purposeful opportunity for pupils to showcase their hard-earned knowledge through their voices.

Year 1 Geography : After exploring the four countries of the UK, our pupils find their "Presentational Talk" feet by delivering their findings to a live audience.
Year 2 Design & Technology : Pupils demonstrate their "Linguistic" and "Social" strands by explaining the mechanics and design of their car projects to parents and carers.
Year 3 Geography : Our young experts master the art of the News Report. Using "Physical" oracy to convey pathos and authority, they present broadcasts on earthquakes and volcanoes to other year groups.
Year 6 History : Reaching the pinnacle of the framework, Year 6 pupils construct complex narratives for an Ancient Greek Broadcast. They spontaneously respond to challenging questions, citing historical evidence with flair and stage presence.

By planning for these outcomes, we ensure that our pupils don't just "do" History or Geography—they become historians and geographers who can speak with confidence, passion, and purpose.