Oracy

Our aim in oracy is to develop children’s speaking and listening skills, to make sure that children develop a rich and varied vocabulary, learn to listen attentively and speak clearly and confidently. We intend for oracy to be part of the school’s pedagogy, not a discrete lesson, but a thread running through daily school life and across all curriculum subjects. We know language development is an area of key importance for our children, which has an impact on all wider subjects. We believe oracy to be an imperative; fundamental to achieve success.

By the time children leave school, they will be able to:

• express issues and ideas clearly.
• speak clearly, using formal language, varying expression, tone and volume.
• listen carefully, to understanding a speakers’ conclusion or opinion.
• respond to others with questions and comments.
• contribute purposefully to group discussion.
• show agreement or disagreement, giving reasons in a respectful manner.
• use a wide and interesting vocabulary, appropriate to the topic being discussed, or the audience that is listening.

We intend for Oracy to be threaded through all planning and teachers take oracy opportunities in every lesson, by using discussion, groupings, performance and other strategies.

In order to support Oracy, we use a range of interactions to engage, scaffold and extend:

• Thinking out loud and modelling new language (in multiple contexts) for children.
• Rephrasing and extending what the children say to clarify points.
• Providing models of accurate grammar (in particular past tenses and plurals).
• Validating the children’s attempts at using new vocabulary and grammar by rephrasing what children say if necessary.
• Asking a range of closed and open questions.
• Explaining why things happen using accurate language linked to the subject area.
• Deliberately connecting current and past events which are familiar to them.
• Extending children’s vocabulary and explaining new words.
• Connecting one idea or action to another to build links.
• Helping children to articulate ideas in well-formed sentences through opportunities to practise with peers and adults.

When children are introduced to new vocabulary, they are provided with opportunities to gather these words through whole class word banks and complete ‘word fields’ to further extend. Working word walls and banks allow for key language to be revisited, discussed and built upon in subsequent lessons.

In EYFS, Wellcomm is used to support development of early language skills.

Teachers assess oracy against the Oracy Framework by observing and evaluating students’ spoken language skills across four key strands: physical, linguistic, cognitive, and social-emotional. Through activities such as group discussions, presentations, and debates, teachers use structured criteria to gauge students’ clarity of speech, vocabulary use, reasoning, and ability to listen and respond appropriately.

Children will be able to express opinions and ideas, speak clearly, listen carefully, contribute to discussion, respond to questions and comments and use a wide and interesting vocabulary. When children explore learning through the varied oracy strategies, and are exposed to new vocabulary, they retain this knowledge. This leads to children using higher level language with a deeper understanding when presenting or writing in all curriculum areas.

At Kates Hill, we believe that cultural capital is the collection of knowledge, skills, and experiences that children need to thrive in the wider world. Our oracy provision plays a vital role in building this foundation.

Through a rich and varied oracy curriculum, we aim to:

• Expose children to a wide range of spoken language experiences, including discussion, debate, storytelling, and presentation.
• Develop essential communication skills, such as active listening, clear articulation, and confident expression.
• Foster self-assurance, empathy, and collaboration through purposeful talk in a variety of contexts.
• Encourage children to think critically and express themselves effectively, using spoken language to explore ideas and engage with others.
• Provide experiences that will remain valuable long after they leave Year 6, helping them grow into articulate, thoughtful, and socially aware individuals.

Oracy is not just a classroom skill—it is a powerful tool for personal development, social interaction, and lifelong success. 

Poetry by Heart is a national competition that celebrates the joy of learning and performing poetry. It encourages pupils to explore a wide range of classic and contemporary poems, develop confidence in public speaking, and deepen their appreciation of language and rhythm. By memorising and reciting poems, children build memory skills, creativity, and a lifelong love of literature. Our school proudly takes part in this inspiring initiative, giving every child the chance to shine and share their voice.

Last year, we participated for the first time. We’re excited to be taking part in Poetry by Heart again this year, giving our pupils the chance to explore, memorise, and perform beautiful poems with confidence and creativity.

This year, eight talented children from Years 4 and 5 proudly represented our school in the Poetry By Heart Trust Final, held at St James Academy on 12th March 2026.

As part of the competition, each pupil was challenged to learn and perform two poems completely from memory:

• One poem written before 1914, and
• One poem written after 1914.

This required real commitment, confidence, and a deep appreciation of poetry—skills our pupils demonstrated brilliantly.

Our Year 4 entrants shone particularly brightly, with Hadia taking 1st place in the Year 4 category, and Rebecca achieving a well‑deserved 3rd place. From Year 5, Samarvir impressed the judges with a thoughtful and expressive performance, earning 3rd place in the Year 5 category.

We are incredibly proud of all eight children who took part. Their hard work, memory skills, and expressive performances were a credit to themselves and to our school.