Oracy

We are developing our Oracy curriculum across school with support from Voice 21, the national charity for Oracy.

At Southmere Primary Academy we prioritise oracy as a powerful tool for elevating learning by teaching our pupils how ‘to talk’ and ‘through talk’.

This means:

  • We explicitly teach the speaking and listening skills pupils will need to communicate effectively and confidently in a range of situations both in and outside of the Academy.
  • We embed the teaching of these skills across our broad and balanced curriculum and wider life of the school so that oracy supports and improves pupils’ learning.

The ability to communicate effectively is essential in preparing children to live happy and successful  lives into adulthood, and we uphold our trust promise of enabling pupils ‘to become active members of society with the skills, confidence, knowledge and experience to actively engage in social debate and discussion.’  We teach our pupils to be creative and critical thinkers with the ability to express their feelings and ideas eloquently whilst listening respectfully and compassionately to the opinions of others, changing their minds when necessary.

We are currently in partnership with the national charity for Oracy, Voice 21, as part of a trust wide project. In collaboration with Voice 21, we deliver ongoing professional training to every practitioner to ensure they are equipped with the subject knowledge, skills and expertise to provide a high-quality oracy education for every single pupil in our Academy. Any learning gaps in a pupil’s oracy proficiency are addressed swiftly to prevent both academic and social disadvantage.

Our current Oracy target at Southmere is for pupils to become more critical thinkers by using their speaking and listening skills to support and challenge their own and others thinking.

In the Early Years, to promote a rich and varied vocabulary, we provide a language rich environment, which gives opportunities for children to experience new and imaginative vocabulary.  We plan specific activities to develop and extend the children’s vocabulary through direct vocabulary teaching in Talk for Writing sessions, book sharing, role-play, child initiated activities and when using the outdoor area.  To further deepen the understanding of children’s learning, staff in EYFS are expected to use the ‘ShREC’ approach, as highlighted by the Education Endowment Foundation, to ensure high-quality interactions throughout everyday practice.

Vocabulary Development

As we continue to promote high expectations for communication, we use a number of approaches within school to aid with vocabulary development.


Votes for Schools

GIVING YOUNG PEOPLE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Votes for schools provides weekly resources for teachers to prompt impartial discussion on a challenging current issue. Students vote and comment and we ensure that their voices are heard and have an impact.