Oracy At Greenholm Primary School
We’re a Voice 21 Oracy School!
At Greenholm Primary School, we believe that every child should have the opportunity to find their voice, express their ideas and be heard.
We are proud to be working with Voice 21, the national oracy education charity, as a Voice 21 Oracy School. Through this partnership, we are developing a high-quality approach to oracy across our curriculum, teaching and wider school life.
Being part of Voice 21 connects Greenholm with a national network of schools committed to transforming teaching and learning through talk.
What is oracy?
Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through speaking, listening and communication.
Just as we explicitly teach children to read, write and understand mathematics, we believe that speaking and listening skills can and should be taught.
At Greenholm, we want our children to become confident communicators who can explain their thinking, listen carefully to others, ask thoughtful questions, build on different ideas and adapt how they communicate for different situations.
Why does oracy matter?
High-quality oracy education gives children opportunities to develop their confidence and communication while supporting learning across the curriculum.
Speaking and listening provide important foundations for reading and writing. Through purposeful classroom talk, children can explore new ideas, deepen their understanding, reason together and learn from one another.
We want every child at Greenholm to recognise that their voice matters and to develop the skills they need to use it effectively.
Why are we a Voice 21 Oracy School?
As a Voice 21 Oracy School, we are placing oracy at the heart of teaching and learning across different subject areas.
Children will have regular opportunities to develop and deepen their knowledge through purposeful talk, discussion and collaboration.
This could include children: explaining their mathematical reasoning • discussing characters and themes in English • debating ideas • asking and answering questions • collaborating to solve problems • presenting to an audience • listening and responding to different viewpoints
Oracy isn’t simply about encouraging children to talk more. It is about teaching children how to communicate effectively and creating classrooms where purposeful talk supports learning.
Oracy at Greenholm
Our work with Voice 21 will support us in developing a consistent whole-school approach to oracy.
Across Greenholm, we are working to create talk-rich classrooms in which children are explicitly taught the skills needed to become effective speakers and listeners.
Oracy will be developed through our school culture, curriculum, teaching and learning, ensuring children have opportunities to practise their communication skills throughout their time at Greenholm.
As our work develops, we will continue to share our approach, resources and examples of oracy in action on this page.
Oracy and SEND
Oracy is for every child.
A strong focus on speaking, listening and communication can provide valuable opportunities for children with SEND to develop their confidence, relationships and sense of belonging.
Our approach to oracy will complement the individual and specialist support already provided for children who need it.
Our Oracy Journey
This year marks an exciting stage in the development of oracy at Greenholm. Working alongside Voice 21, we will continue to develop our practice, provide professional development for staff and embed high-quality oracy throughout school life.
Every child at Greenholm should leave us with the confidence, knowledge and communication skills to express themselves, listen to others and make their voice heard.
Find out more
Voice 21 supports schools to ensure that speaking, listening and communication form part of teaching, the curriculum and wider school life.
Visit the Voice 21 website here: Voice 21 | Oracy