ORACY CURRICULUM

At St. Mary's CofE, oracy is a fundamental part of our curriculum. We believe that spoken language is a powerful tool for learning, thinking, relationships and participation, and we teach it deliberately and systematically through our whole-school Voice 21 approach. This ensures all pupils—including those who may face barriers to communication—develop the confidence, vocabulary and speaking skills they need to thrive academically and personally.

Our approach aligns fully with the Ofsted School Inspection Toolkit (Nov 2025), which emphasises the importance of high-quality communication, language development, inclusive participation, and opportunities for pupils to articulate their understanding across subjects.

Our Intent

We aim to ensure that every child becomes a confident, articulate and respectful speaker and listener. Oracy at St. Mary's is designed so that pupils:

  • Develop a rich and ambitious vocabulary that supports learning across the curriculum

  • Express ideas with clarity, engage in reasoning, and justify their thinking

  • Listen actively and respond appropriately in a range of situations

  • Build confidence and resilience when speaking in front of others

  • Engage in high-quality dialogue and discussion that deepens understanding

  • Are prepared for secondary school, modern life and active citizenship

Through our Voice 21 framework, we structure oracy learning around the four key strands: Physical, Linguistic, Cognitive and Social & Emotional.

Our Implementation

Oracy is explicitly taught, consistently modelled, and purposefully embedded in all subjects.

Daily Practice

  • Teachers model high-quality talk and provide structured talk routines

  • Pupils take part in paired talk, small-group discussion and whole-class dialogue

  • Sentence stems and vocabulary scaffolds support inclusive participation

Curriculum Integration

Oracy opportunities are deliberately planned in each subject, for example:

  • Explanation in maths to strengthen reasoning

  • Role-play and debate in history to deepen disciplinary thinking

  • Scientific presentations to articulate hypotheses and conclusions

  • Performance and recital within English and the arts

Voice 21 Structures

We use established Voice 21 routines and pedagogies such as:

  • Talk Tactics

  • Discussion guidelines

  • Structured partner talk

  • Dialogic teaching

  • Group roles

  • Oracy progression frameworks

These ensure consistency and quality across the school.

Our Impact

We measure the impact of our oracy curriculum through:

  • Pupil voice and self-reflection

  • Classroom observation of talk routines

  • Assessment linked to the four strands of the Voice 21 Oracy Framework

  • Monitoring of vocabulary development and disciplinary talk

  • Improved confidence, participation and independence in learning

  • Outcomes in reading, writing and wider curriculum subjects

Pupils at St. Mary's  leave us as confident communicators, able to express themselves clearly, collaborate effectively, listen respectfully and engage thoughtfully with the world around them.

Equity and Inclusion

We are committed to ensuring that every child—regardless of starting point—has access to high-quality oracy education. This includes:

  • Carefully structured scaffolds to remove barriers

  • Speech and language support where required

  • Deliberate teaching of vocabulary

  • Consistent expectations for talk in all classrooms

  • Opportunities for every pupil to lead, present and participate

Wider Opportunities

We provide authentic, purposeful contexts for spoken language, including:

  • Class assemblies and performances

  • Pupil leadership roles

  • Debate clubs and circle discussions

  • Presentations, reports and storytelling

These experiences help pupils apply their oracy skills beyond the classroom and develop pride in their voice.

Further Information and Useful Documents

For further information about our oracy curriculum, please contact our Oracy Lead, Mrs Neal, via our school email address info@st-marys-cadishead.salford.sch.uk 

Oracy Policy

Oracy Framework

Year Group Overview

Sentence Stems

Year 1          Year 2          Year 3          Year 4       Year 5          Year 6

Oracy Leader: Mrs Julie Neal
Last reviewed: November 2025
Next review: September 2026