SPCA Oracy strategy

To develop confident, articulate students who can communicate effectively in a variety of contexts, fostering skills essential for academic success, employment, and active participation in society.

Objectives

1. Promote Effective Communication Skills: Equip students with the ability to express themselves clearly, listen actively, and engage in respectful dialogue.
2. Embed Oracy Across the Curriculum: Ensure oracy is a fundamental part of teaching and learning in all subjects.
3. Support Diverse Needs: Address the needs of all learners, including those with SEND and EAL, to ensure inclusivity in oracy development.
4. Enhance Cultural Capital: Provide opportunities for students to experience and practise oracy in real-world and culturally enriching contexts.

Key Pillars of Oracy Development

1. Physical - Physical Delivery and Presence

• Focus on non-verbal communication, including body language, eye contact, and tone of voice.

2. Linguistic - Vocabulary and Expression 

• Explicitly teach subject-specific and ambitious vocabulary.
• Promote the use of varied sentence structures and precise language.

3. Cognitive - Reasoning and Critical Thinking

• Embed activities that require students to articulate reasoning, debate, and evaluate ideas.
• Use questioning to encourage deeper thinking and verbal articulation of thought processes.

4. Social and Emotional - Speaking and Listening Skills 

• Develop students' ability to speak confidently, coherently, and appropriately for different purposes and audiences.
• Encourage active listening to enhance understanding and empathy.

 

 

Key Components of the Oracy Strategy

1. Curriculum Integration

• Curriculum Documentation Development: Ensure oracy objectives and activities are clearly embedded into schemes of work across all departments.
• Oracy Focus in Assessment Strategy: Incorporate speaking and listening tasks into assessment criteria and mark schemes.
• T&L Termly Focus: Departments or the T&L team select an oracy focus each term, such as debate skills, group discussion, or public speaking.

2. Staff Development

• CPD Sessions: Offer training on implementing oracy strategies, designing effective tasks, and assessing verbal skills.
• Staff Guide and Script: Provide a practical guide for embedding oracy, including classroom prompts and success criteria.

3. Extracurricular Activities

• Oracy-Focused Clubs: Establish clubs such as debating, drama, and public speaking to enhance oracy outside lessons.
• School Radio/Podcast: Engage students in producing a school radio or podcast to develop storytelling, interviewing, and presenting skills.

4. Student Leadership and Recognition

• Oracy Ambassadors and Badges: Appoint student leaders to promote oracy, organise events, and mentor peers.
• School Council Meetings: Ensure discussions reflect the school’s demographics and linguistic context to promote inclusivity.

5. Celebrating Oracy

• Posters Around School: Highlight the importance of oracy through visual displays, including quotes and tips.
• "Oracy Word of the Week": Focus on one key term weekly, rewarding its use with achievement points.
• Student Assemblies: Encourage students to lead assemblies using poems, prayers, or reflective scripts.

6. Parental and Community Engagement

• Parent Guide to Oracy: Share strategies and tips for encouraging communication skills at home.
• Community Partnerships: Invite local professionals to host workshops or discussions on effective communication.

7. Form Time and Worship Opportunities

• Form Time Activities: Incorporate oracy tasks like discussions (e.g. DEAR texts), presentations, or collaborative problem-solving. 
• Worship Opportunities: Encourage students to lead prayers, share reflections, or deliver inspirational readings.

Modern and Inclusive Oracy

• Dual Coding for Oracy: Display visuals illustrating oracy’s components (e.g., physical, linguistic, cognitive, social and emotional).
• Modern-Day Oracy: Encourage discussions on how informal language like slang can coexist with formal communication.

Monitoring and Evaluation

1. Tracking Progress

• Incorporate oracy skills into the school’s assessment framework.
• Use peer and self-assessments alongside teacher observations.

2. Feedback and Reflection

• Gather student voice on their oracy development and adapt strategies accordingly.
• Encourage reflective practice by students after oral activities.

3. Celebrating Success

• Recognise and reward achievements in oracy through certificates, awards, and showcases.

Expected Outcomes

• Students will gain confidence in public speaking and collaborative discussions.
• Improved academic performance due to enhanced verbal reasoning and comprehension.
• A school-wide culture of respect, active listening, and articulate expression.
• This strategy ensures oracy is a dynamic, inclusive, and integral part of the school’s ethos and curriculum.