Oracy at Whitstone
Oracy, the ability to speak confidently, clearly and persuasively, is a key driver of learning and personal development. It enables students to articulate ideas, participate meaningfully in discussions and gain confidence in public speaking.
How Oracy is Promoted in School
- Structured Partner and Group Talk: Every subject provides opportunities for guided discussion, debates, and collaborative problem-solving.
- Formal Presentations: Students present ideas to peers, developing clarity, confidence, and communication skills.
- Performances and Competitions: Participation in school plays, seasonal performances and oracy competitions to enhance communication and self-assurance.
- Integration with Curriculum: Oracy is explicitly linked to reading and writing, with discussion supporting comprehension and writing tasks.
- Modelling Speaking Skills: Teachers demonstrate effective spoken communication, including pronunciation, tone, pacing and structured responses.
- Cold Calling: Teachers pose questions to all students, selecting responses inclusively to increase participation and engagement.
Think, Pair, Share: Students discuss ideas with a partner before sharing with the class, supporting structured dialogue and thinking time. - Class Discussion: Whole-class dialogue is structured to encourage active listening, reasoning and extending ideas collaboratively.
- Push for Perfection: Students are encouraged to refine responses for precision, clarity, and accuracy, fostering high-quality oral expression.
Supporting Oracy at Home
- Talk Rich Environments: Encourage discussion during meals, journeys or family activities. Prompt students to explain ideas fully and give reasons for opinions.
- Discussion Prompts: Use “word of the day”, current events or open-ended questions to expand vocabulary and reasoning.
- Reading Aloud: Encourages fluency, pronunciation and confidence. This also supports writing and comprehension.
- Role-Play and Debates: Practising speeches, debates or interviews helps students structure ideas and speak persuasively.