We’re excited to share a new initiative we’re working on with Voice 21, the national oracy education charity, to develop our students’ oracy skills. Oracy is all about speaking and listening – the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language. We are one of over 900 schools who are part of this network, dedicated to transforming teaching and learning through talk.
By teaching students to become effective speakers and listeners, we empower them to better understand themselves, each other, and the world around them. As a school, we actively invest in creating “talk rich” classrooms, valuing every single student voice, boosting confidence and preparing our students for their futures. This complements the integrated approach to teaching and therapeutic support that we already champion here at Abingdon House School.
- Speaking and listening skills are critical foundations for reading and writing.
- Students with better oral language skills are more likely to succeed in maths and English at whatever level the students are working at.
- There is a strong link between communication skills and improved mental health.
As a Voice 21 Oracy School, we put oracy at the heart of our teaching and learning across all subject areas, enabling students to develop and deepen their knowledge and understanding through talk in the classroom. This might include class discussions in PSHE using the ABC technique (agree, build, challenge); working out a maths problem in a maths circle intervention; giving feedback about a performance in drama or music; or students coaching their peers in sport lessons.
In Voice 21 Oracy schools:
- 89% of students agree/strongly agree that speaking and listening has helped them make progress with their school work.
- 77% of teachers said that oracy had boosted attainment.
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96% of teachers said that oracy is an essential part of teaching and learning.
If you have any questions about oracy or Voice 21 please don’t hesitate to get in touch or visit their website here.
