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Spotlight on Oracy

Your knowledge hub for exploring how an oracy education impacts your students and your school.

What's the "4th R" in education?

Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through speaking, listening, and communication.

At Voice 21, we’ve helped over 2,500 schools to transform their curriculum through oracy. We provide the strategic frameworks and expert CPD needed to transform school culture through the power of talk.

Watch as, in just 2 minutes, our Head of Growth, John Stabler-Wright, breaks down exactly what the recent governmental shifts mean for your school and classrooms.

Ready to join us? 🚀 

Recruitment for 2026 is officially open! Register your interest today, and you'll hear from us soon if we have capacity in your region.

Learn about the impact of oracy on students and schools

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Behaviour & Culture

From conflict resolution, respecting other points of view, to emotional regulation - schools notice a huge difference in their students as their oracy skills develop.

Click below and find out more on the link between oracy and behaviour, including case studies and research articles.

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Confidence

Your pupils have a lot to say but might lack the skills needed to express themselves. Feeling listened to and being heard brings young people out of their shells and gives them the ability to put their best foot forward in life.

Discover how a high quality oracy education can improve a students' confidence.

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Vocabulary

Developing an oracy-rich learning environment supports vocabulary development and word ownership.

Find out more about how a high-quality oracy education can impact vocabulary development for students in various settings.

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School Culture

Find out how oracy rich classrooms can bring learning to life through talk.

Read more about developing a culture of oracy across the school and across communities.

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SEND

At a time schools are seeing an increase in SEND students and longer waiting lists for support, oracy helps to involve all learners, identify needs and strengthen language skills.

There are other ways to make talk more equitable in the classroom, ensuring that all learners have their voices heard. Talk tokens, no hands up and think-pair-share are all effective ways of promoting the idea that every voice matters. 

Remember that listening is just as important as speaking in an oracy-rich classroom and often our quiet children are great listeners. 

English as an Additional Language

Oracy-rich classrooms celebrate different languages and cultures by explicitly teaching the speaking and listening skills that provides the space EAL learners need to blossom. 

Providing rich contexts for talk, such as concrete experiences like making bread or conducting an experiment are particularly important for students learning EAL as it helps activate any prior knowledge they may have in another language, allowing them to access content at the appropriate level. 

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