As a charity, Voice 21 equips educators with the oracy expertise to transform their students' learning and life chances through talk

Our mission is to make oracy an ordinary part of every child's education

Becoming a Voice 21 Oracy School means joining a national movement of teachers and leaders working together to transform learning through talk. As a charity, our mission is to ensure every child develops the confidence, skills and voice they need to thrive in school and beyond.

If you decide to become a Voice 21 Oracy School, you’ll gain access to our national network of oracy leaders, practical frameworks, expert-led professional development, and ongoing support designed to embed oracy across your school. You’ll also become part of a community committed to ensuring that all children, especially those facing disadvantage, have the opportunity to access a high-quality oracy education.

*Places are limited each year. As a charity, we prioritise schools serving the highest proportions of students eligible for Free School Meals, those with significant numbers of students with English as an additional language, and schools in regions where our support can have the greatest impact.

Limited places with priority for high-need schools

Our next membership cohort begins in September 2026. As a charity, Voice 21 is committed to serving schools and children with the greatest need, and we will be prioritising:

🌟Schools with the highest proportion of FSM-eligible students

🌟Schools with a higher percentage of EAL learners

🌟Schools in underserved regions 

If your school meets one or more of these criteria, please complete the expression of interest form today. If we’re unable to welcome you immediately, don’t worry, we’ll guide you to our free oracy resources and CPD, so you can still begin providing a high-quality oracy education in your school right away!

A decade of impact and a growing movement

Over the past decade, we've reached over 200,000 students and provided nearly 21,000 hours of support to over 2,500 schools. And this is just the beginning as we move forward with our new strategy to make oracy a part of every child’s education, in every school.

Oracy is gaining real traction. Schools are seeing its power to boost teacher confidence, raise reading outcomes, and build more inclusive classrooms. Our latest Impact Report shows how far we've come and why oracy is essential in shaping students' success, both in school and beyond.

Geoff Barton chairs the Oracy Education Commission. Read: "We need to talk"

Oracy deserves its place alongside reading, writing, and arithmetic at the heart of education. The We Need To Talk report, released by the independent Commission on the Future of Oracy Education, presents a powerful, evidence-backed case for transforming how schools develop these essential skills. The report shows how oracy improves student confidence, engagement, and outcomes, while also supporting teacher development and school culture. Read the full report and help make oracy a key part of every child’s education.