ORACY

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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

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Voice 21

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Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language. At Finlay Community School, we are committed to transforming oracy teaching and learning across the school, enabling all our children to benefit from a high quality oracy education.

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In 2023, we became a Voice 21 school and began working with the UK's Oracy Education Charity - Voice 21. Through the deliberate, explicit and systematic teaching of oracy across phases and throughout the curriculum, we strive to support children and young people to make progress in the four strands of oracy outlined in the oracy framework: physical, linguistic, social and emotional and cognitive. 

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The oracy framework provides an overview of the oracy skills and knowledge children should acquire during their time at school. It can help to identify strengths and areas for development, as well as to allow us to plan explicitly for talk and support reflection on talk. At Finlay Community School, we have created an intent guide to show how oracy is taught at Finlay and what the progression of each strand looks like across the school. 

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Our Vision for Oracy: 

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Our school is a place where students, staff and carers speak with kindness, confidence and clarity; where every voice is valued. Our classroom communities are places where critical issues can be discussed; where students feel comfortable putting forward an idea one day to set it aside the next; where students can safely challenge each other - and still play together in the playground or sit together at lunch.

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We aim to equip students with the tools they need to use their voice to aspire, belong and achieve in school and in life.

 

Our Oracy Intent

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​Our curriculum provides opportunities for students to talk for different purposes, to different audiences, on different subjects throughout their time at Finlay. With regular and meaningful oracy experiences, students are prepared to speak through thoughtful, progressive development of skills in each of the four strands of the Oracy Framework.

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Our learners are made aware of talk and the power it has to help them think deeply. Teachers harness the power of talk to engage children, to stimulate and extend their thinking. Staff members take an active role in guiding students’ language, modelling ways in which talk can be used to think collectively. Talk tasks are designed to draw on and beyond children’s existing knowledge, to elicit debate and consideration of different interpretations or ways of problem-solving. 

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Since joining Voice 21, we have: 

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• Established discussion guidelines 

• Appointed oracy ambassadors 

• Redesigned our curriculum to allow for oracy to be at the heart of our pedagogical approach

• Implemented phase assemblies 

• Implemented different groupings: nesting, pairs, trios and circles 

• Implemented talk tactics: build upon, instigate, challenge and summarise

• Introduced Star Speaker awards 

• Held a yearly poetry slam and exhibition of work 

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Oracy Long Term Intent Guide 2025 2026

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For more information on our oracy curriculum, please speak to our Oracy Leads: Sasha Palmer (sasha.palmer@finlay.gloucs.sch.uk) or Meg Harding (megan.harding@finlay.gloucs.sch.uk). 

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