Topic outline

  • Oracy

    Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language and listening (Voice 21) 


    At Yardleys we want students who are able to: 

    • Work collaboratively and discuss their ideas with their peers 

    • Confidently express their own thoughts 

    • Develop their use of language 

    • Use talk as a tool to deepen their understanding 

     

    We know that having students engaged in their learning will maximise their academic progress and we want our lessons to focus on providing the opportunities for students to ‘think, discuss and collaborate’. 

    We also recognise and value the wider benefits that focusing on oracy can have, such as: 

    • Improving confidence and overall wellbeing 

    • Preparing students for life after school  by developing the necessary  communication, listening and interpersonal skills needed 

    • Developing students as an all-rounded  citizen, giving them the chance to express their  ideas and  opinions  and contribute meaningfully to the wider community 

     

    In order to facilitate our vision for oracy we’ve placed it at the heart of our whole school development. 

    We’ve invested heavily into our CPD to allow oracy to become a fundamental and regular part of our pedagogy by: 


    • Equipping staff with a range of oracy strategies they can use, delivered through the form of deliberate practice in whole school CPD sessions 

    • Revisiting and drip-feeding new strategies through our Teaching & Learning Hotspots  

    • Sharing key research 

    • Using part of departments subject mastery time for sharing of ideas and co-planning 

    • Having sharing best practice sessions were staff come together across departments and share resources one another 

    • Focussing on the planning and sequencing of oracy across lessons 

    • Mapping out key opportunities for oracy across our Y7 curriculum 

    • Introducing a bespoke Y7 oracy curriculum to specifically teach our students the skills needed to effectively talk 


    If you would like any further information about our work around oracy then please don’t hesitate to contact Jennifer Guarini, Assistant Headteacher for Teaching & Learning