Oracy
Why We Teach Oracy
At Meadow View, we believe that every child deserves to have a voice and the confidence to use it.
Oracy is the ability to communicate effectively through speaking and listening. We explicitly teach and develop oracy because strong communication skills are essential for learning, building relationships and succeeding in life.
Through our curriculum and everyday classroom practice, we give pupils regular opportunities to:
- Express their ideas, thoughts and opinions clearly and confidently.
- Listen carefully and respond thoughtfully to others.
- Develop and use a rich vocabulary to explain their thinking.
- Ask and answer questions and engage in meaningful discussions.
- Build confidence when speaking to different audiences and in different situations.
- Explain, reason and justify their ideas, supporting their understanding across the curriculum.
- Work collaboratively, learning to take turns, respect different viewpoints and build on the contributions of others.
- Adapt their communication depending on the audience, purpose and context.
Oracy is woven throughout our curriculum rather than being taught as a standalone subject. From the Early Years onwards, pupils are encouraged to talk, listen, question, explain and discuss. As they progress through the academy, we deliberately develop their vocabulary, confidence, reasoning and ability to communicate with increasing clarity and sophistication.
We recognise that good oracy supports good learning. When pupils can articulate their thinking, they are better able to make connections, deepen their understanding, develop their ideas and engage with the learning of others.
We also know that confident communication is an important life skill. We want our pupils to leave our academy able to speak with confidence, listen with respect and communicate effectively, giving them the skills they need to participate fully in school, their communities and their future lives.
Every voice matters. Every child can learn to communicate with confidence.