Oracy

Oracy is the ability to communicate and articulate one’s ideas effectively through spoken language. It can be described as the process of children learning how to listen, speak clearly and communicate expressively in a variety of situations.

At Common Road Infant and Nursery School we believe that spoken language and communication is at the heart of the curriculum, a powerful tool for learning and thriving. Our intention is for our children to become confident, articulate communicators with good listening skills and a wealth of vocabulary to use in a range of contexts. Oracy underpins the development of all subjects, especially reading and writing. It empowers children from all backgrounds to find their own voice, developing their confidence, independence and ability to learn, becoming an active member of the classroom. We aim for our children to talk effectively within school, but also equip them for their future.

Oracy opportunities are woven across the curriculum with teachers embedding a culture of talk in the classroom, whereby children can learn the communication skills needed to be successful in both academic life and outside of school. All staff model good vocabulary and language at all times, demonstrating an enthusiasm for learning new vocabulary and using topic specific language. Subject leaders have explicitly planned oracy opportunities into curriculum progression maps to ensure consistency across school. Talk is promoted in the classroom through partner talk, class discussions, circle times and opportunities to present learning to peers.

A positive culture of oracy is embedded throughout school; we facilitate oracy throughout the school day, alongside the curriculum. This is achieved through talk opportunities such as; assemblies led by the children, school productions, snack and lunchtime discussions, including the Golden Table where children love discussing a question with a different grown up each day. We celebrate great examples of oracy and aim to promote good language and communication both in school and at home through ‘Let’s Talk…’ challenges.