Oracy
Oracy at Whitby Heath
At Whitby Heath Primary School, we believe every child deserves to have a voice and to feel valued, listened to and respected. Developing strong communication skills is a key part of our curriculum and school vision because we know that the ability to speak and listen effectively is essential for success in education, relationships and future employment.
We are currently in the second year of our partnership with Voice 21, the UK's leading oracy education charity. Through this partnership, we are continuing to develop a culture where high-quality talk is recognised as a powerful tool for learning.
What is Oracy?
Oracy is the ability to express ideas, communicate effectively and engage with others through spoken language. At Whitby Heath, we teach children to talk so that they can learn through talk and deepen their understanding.
Research shows that high-quality classroom talk not only develops communication skills but also improves learning across the curriculum, supports writing development and strengthens social and emotional skills.
How We Teach Oracy
We recognise that oracy skills need to be taught explicitly. Children do not become effective speakers and listeners by chance. Through our curriculum, pupils are taught and supported to develop the four strands of the Voice 21 Oracy Framework:
Physical – using voice, expression and body language effectively.
Linguistic – choosing appropriate vocabulary and language structures.
Cognitive – developing reasoning, questioning and critical thinking skills.
Social and Emotional – listening actively, collaborating respectfully and responding thoughtfully to others.
Discussion Guidelines and Talk Tactics
Across the school, children use our bespoke Whitby Heath Discussion Guidelines. These age-appropriate expectations help pupils participate in purposeful and respectful discussions.
Children are taught how to:
Listen actively to others.
Build on ideas.
Ask questions to clarify understanding.
Challenge ideas respectfully.
Justify their thinking.
Summarise discussions.
Ensure every voice is heard.
These skills are reinforced through discussion prompts, sentence stems, modelling and regular opportunities for exploratory talk across the curriculum.
Oracy Across the Curriculum
Oracy is not taught as a standalone subject. Instead, it is woven throughout everyday classroom practice.
You may see children:
Discussing a concept cartoon in Science.
Debating a historical question in History.
Explaining their reasoning in Maths.
Rehearsing ideas before writing.
Working collaboratively in small groups.
Using subject-specific vocabulary in discussions.
Teachers carefully plan opportunities for talk and provide structured support to help all children participate confidently.
Vocabulary and Word Aware
Developing vocabulary is a vital part of our oracy journey. Through our Word Aware approach, children are explicitly taught ambitious vocabulary across subjects and are encouraged to use new words in both discussion and written work. This helps pupils become confident communicators and deepens their understanding of the curriculum.
Looking Ahead
As we continue our Voice 21 journey, our focus is on embedding high-quality talk in every classroom. We want every child to leave Whitby Heath as a confident communicator who can express ideas clearly, listen thoughtfully to others and participate successfully in the wider world.
For more information about Voice 21 and the importance of oracy, please visit: https://voice21.org/what-is-oracy/