Oracy at SMSA
At St Mary & St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that confident communication is key to every child's success in school and beyond. Oracy—the ability to express thoughts, ideas and emotions effectively—is at the heart of our curriculum. We are committed to nurturing every child's voice and helping them develop the skills to listen, think critically and communicate with confidence.
Why Oracy Matters
In today's world, effective communication is more important than ever. Oracy supports:
- Academic achievement: Talking about learning deepens understanding across all subjects.
- Personal development: Children build self-confidence and learn to express their ideas clearly.
- Social skills: Collaborative discussions help children respect and value diverse viewpoints.
- Future readiness: Strong communication skills prepare children for success in further education and their future careers.
How We Embed Oracy in Our Curriculum
At St Mary and St Andrew’s, Oracy is woven into every aspect of our teaching and learning. Across the curriculum, we ensure that children have regular opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills in meaningful and engaging ways.
Key Oracy Activities We Use:
- Debates and Discussions
- Structured classroom debates allow children to explore topics such as environmental issues, historical events and literary themes.
- Guided group discussions encourage collaboration and critical thinking.
- Storytelling and Role-Play
- Younger pupils develop language skills through role-play and storytelling in English and topic lessons.
- Drama activities help older children bring their learning to life, from re-enacting historical events to performing poetry and Shakespearean plays.
- Talk in the Classroom
- Teachers model high-quality talk and encourage children to use full sentences, expand their vocabulary and share ideas.
- Sentence stems and prompts are used to scaffold discussions and build confidence.
- Presentations and Public Speaking
- Pupils regularly present their work, from project showcases to assemblies.
- We provide opportunities for children to speak to different audiences.
Oracy across the Curriculum
- RE gives pupils the chance to explore their faith through reflective discussions and shared insights.
- English lessons are an excellent opportunity to develop children’s oracy skills through activities such as book discussions, collaborative writing and exploring characters' perspectives.
- In Maths, children explain their reasoning and problem-solving processes.
- Science, History and Geography lessons give children opportunities to use talk to hypothesise, predict and evaluate their findings.
- In PSHE, circle time allows children to express their thoughts and emotions.
To ensure Oracy thrives in our school, our teachers are trained to embed Oracy into their everyday practice and every classroom promotes purposeful dialogue and active listening.