Oracy
At St Mary’s, oracy is a crucial part of our curriculum and daily life, with communication at the heart of all our learning. We aim to equip our children to become confident, compassionate and effective communicators who can engage meaningfully with others and share their thoughts and ideas with clarity. From the early years through to Year 6, oracy is embedded in all areas of the curriculum and is central to our teaching approach.
We want all our pupils to feel confident in expressing their ideas and opinions, and to know that their voice matters and are valued. By encouraging open communication, we ensure every child has the opportunity to be heard, fostering a sense of belonging and empowering them to engage actively in their learning and the wider community.
What is oracy?
'Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language. In school, oracy is a powerful tool for learning; by teaching children to become effective speakers and listeners we empower them to better understand themselves, each other and the world around them.' - Voice21
Oracy involves developing the skills of speaking and listening in a variety of contexts and for different purposes, both inside and outside the classroom.
Why is oracy important?
Oracy plays a critical role in:
ü Building confidence
ü Promoting active learning
ü Fostering relationships with others and with God
ü Engaging in meaningful discussions.
ü Effective communication
ü Collaborative skills
ü Empathy and respect
Developing oracy skills, not only helps our pupils succeed academically, but also prepares them to be compassionate, effective leaders in their communities, and to live out the values of the Catholic faith in the wider world.
I love oracy because everyone shares their own opinion and gets a turn – Ursula, Year 4.
It is great that we can build on others’ ideas and debate. We can expand on our ideas and say things more specifically. – Thomas, Year 5.
I like that we get to listen to others and learn new things and share our own ideas. We can agree and disagree. – Alexandra, Year 5.
I loved Speak Up because it was a new opportunity and a way for us to hear about other people’s stories that they have not told before. I was amazed by other children’s stories and speeches. – Tahlia, Year 6.
What does oracy look like at St Mary’s?
At St Mary’s, oracy is integrated into everything we do. From structured speaking and listening activities, to whole-school events and assemblies, our pupils are given rich and varied opportunities to develop their oracy skills.
We teach oracy explicitly through group discussions, drama, presentations and by modelling effective communication. Each class follows its own oracy guidelines, supporting consistent expectations and helping pupils become confident, respectful speakers and listeners.
We set high standards for spoken language and encourage children to elaborate on their ideas, explain their thinking clearly, and listen carefully to others. In every oracy lesson, we use key vocabulary and sentence stems to help pupils structure their talk and express themselves with confidence.
Developing a wide and sophisticated vocabulary is a priority across the curriculum. Children are explicitly taught new words in fun, meaningful and engaging ways, helping to deepen their understanding and support their reading and writing development.
At St Mary’s, we believe that high-quality talk underpins high-quality learning.
At St Mary’s we refer to the Oracy Framework to support our planning:
Each class has written their own set of oracy guidelines, which we use every day to help us be confident, respectful and effective communicators.
| Name | Format | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Files | |||
| Oracy progression grid Nursery - MOCP.pdf | |||
| Oracy progression grid Rec - Yr6 - MOCP.pdf | |||
| Talk Tactics.jpg | .jpg |
