At St Mary’s, we recognise oracy as central to learning, personal development and participation in school life. We want every child to express ideas clearly, listen thoughtfully and communicate with confidence and purpose. Children learn both to talk effectively and to learn through talk, using discussion to deepen understanding, develop vocabulary and explore different viewpoints.

Our ambition is for all children, including those with additional communication needs, to have their voices heard and valued.

Oracy is developed deliberately across the curriculum. Conversation, stories, songs and play establish early foundations in listening, attention and turn-taking. As children progress, they learn to give increasingly structured explanations, justify opinions, ask purposeful questions and build on or respectfully challenge others’ ideas. Our English progression document sets out how spoken language expectations develop across the year groups.

Adults model effective speaking and listening, explicitly teach vocabulary and provide opportunities for children to rehearse and apply new language. Partner talk, structured discussion and carefully chosen questions support children to explain their thinking and develop their understanding. Sentence stems, modelling and appropriate scaffolds help children participate with increasing independence.

Drama, poetry, assemblies, Mass and presentations give children meaningful opportunities to communicate with different audiences. We value attentive listening alongside confident speaking, teaching children to clarify meaning, consider alternative perspectives and respond respectfully.

Children demonstrate progress in oracy through increasingly precise vocabulary, clearer explanations, purposeful questions and thoughtful responses to others’ ideas. They become more confident in expressing their views, building on others’ contributions and disagreeing respectfully.

Through classroom discussion, observation and pupil voice, we check how well children use spoken language to explain and deepen their understanding across the curriculum. This informs next steps in teaching and identifies where further support or challenge is needed, so that every child can participate with increasing confidence and independence.