Oracy

The Importance of Oracy at Newchurch St. Nicholas-written for all to understand.

At Newchurch St. Nicholas, we believe that being able to speak and listen well is a vital important life skill. It helps us reach our potential in learning, grow in confidence, work well with others, and get ready for the future.

When we speak clearly and listen carefully, we can share our ideas, understand others, and join in with conversations in a respectful and thoughtful way. These are skills that help us not just in school, but in everyday life too.

We make sure that everyone has the chance to practise their speaking and listening in lots of different ways—like class discussions, group work, performances, and presentations. We believe that when we learn to speak well, we also learn to think more deeply.

At our school, every voice matters. By helping children become confident, thoughtful, and respectful communicators, we’re giving them the tools they need to succeed in school and beyond.

Intent: Finding Our Voice at Newchurch St. Nicholas.

At Newchurch St. Nicholas, we believe that everyone has a voice that deserves to be heard. That’s why we work hard to help all our children become confident, clear, and respectful speakers and listeners.

We want our pupils to feel comfortable speaking in front of others—whether that’s in class, in assembly, or out in the community. Good speaking and listening skills help us learn better in every subject and they help us share our ideas, ask great questions, and explain our thinking.

We are also on a journey of helping all of our school family focus on using the right words for the right time. That means thinking carefully about how we speak depending on who we’re talking to and what we’re talking about. We encourage everyone to speak in full sentences using Standard English, and we use sentence stems to help us build strong answers and explanations.

Implementation:

At Newchurch St. Nicholas, oracy is at the heart of our approach to learning.

We believe that the ability to speak and listen effectively is essential for children’s success both in school and beyond. That’s why oracy is thoughtfully woven into our curriculum through carefully planned questions, peer conversations that are modelled and scaffolded, and purposeful teacher talk that nurtures and extends thinking.

In every lesson, our teachers use dedicated learning tools to create rich opportunities for speaking and listening. From the Early Years Foundation Stage through to Year 6, children are supported to grow in confidence and develop their oracy skills in both formal and informal settings—inside the classroom and beyond.

Our oracy curriculum map ensures that pupils experience a wide range of talk types and develop the skills needed for different oracy outcomes, including:

• Exploratory talk
• Interactive and negotiated dialogue
• Recitation, debate, and persuasion
• Building understanding to inform or teach others
• Entertainment and expressive communication

Through deliberate, explicit, and consistent teaching of oracy across the curriculum, our children make meaningful progress in the four strands of oracy. These skills are embedded throughout our wider curriculum, helping pupils deepen their subject knowledge, strengthen their understanding, and refine their reasoning.

We provide a variety of purposeful opportunities to support both learning through talk and learning to talk, such as:

• Establishing clear ground rules for respectful speaking and listening
• Presentations on chosen or assigned topics, delivered individually or in groups
• Class and group discussions on themes like story plots, beliefs, or scientific predictions
• Hot seating activities where children take on a character and answer questions in role
• Performing and exploring texts through drama and imaginative interpretation
• Structured debates on thought-provoking topics
• Assemblies and workshops, including curriculum showcases, shared with parents and peers
• School council meetings where pupils voice ideas and concerns
• Ethos meetings where children discuss how to be courageous advocates
• Ethos-led worships in front of the school and wider community
• Collaborative group work that relies on active listening and clear communication
• Role play scenarios that encourage empathy and creative expression

At Newchurch St. Nicholas, we are proud to nurture articulate, thoughtful, and confident communicators who are ready to engage with the world around them.

Impact:

How can you help at home?

Here are some exciting speaking and thinking games to try at home. Keep an eye on our social media for 'I wonder' and 'Big questions' to discuss too! 

These activities help build confidence, vocabulary, and creativity—perfect for our Newchurch stars!

🔢 How Many Can You Name?

Challenge your child with a fun question that gets them thinking!

Try asking:

“How many animals can you name that hatch from eggs?”

“How many vehicles with four wheels can you think of?”

“How many things can you name that are cone-shaped?”

Let them surprise you with their ideas—and see if they can beat their own record next time!

🧠 I’m Thinking Of…

Start with: “I’m thinking of something that…” and describe a feature.

For example: “I’m thinking of something that is blue.”

Can they guess what it is? Encourage them to ask clever questions and use exciting vocabulary. This is a great way to stretch their descriptive language!

📚 Who Am I?

Just like “I’m Thinking Of,” but this time, choose a character from a book or film.

“I’m someone who wears a cape and flies through the sky…”

Can they guess who you are? This is perfect for linking to stories they’ve read in school.

🤔 What’s Better?

Ask your child to choose between two things—and explain why!

Examples:

“What’s better: apples or bananas?”

“Cheese or chocolate?”

“The beach or the city?”

“Space or the ocean?”

This helps them practise giving reasons and forming opinions.

🔍 Odd One Out

Say three things and ask: “Which one doesn’t belong—and why?”

Try:

“Train, bus, hair”

“Platypus, cobra, horse”

“Chop, chicken, ship” (a phonics twist!)

“21, 63, 78” (a maths challenge!)

Make it as easy or tricky as you like!

🔤 Heads and Tails

Pick a category and start with a word. The next word must begin with the last letter of the previous one!

Category: Zoo animals

Example: Zebra → Aardvark → Kangaroo → Octopus

How long can your chain go?