Oracy

Oracy vision statement

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

Winston Churchill

Definition of the subject

Oracy is our ability to communicate effectively using spoken language. It is the ability to speak eloquently, articulate ideas and thoughts, influence through talking, listen to others and have the confidence to express views.

Child friendly version

Oracy is being able to express yourself well. It's about having the vocabulary to say what you want to say and the ability to structure your thoughts so that they make sense to others.

Subject Aims

At HBJs, we recognise that Oracy is a powerful tool in every aspect of daily life. Through the deliberate, explicit and systematic teaching of oracy across phases, children will be taught the skills and vocabulary to develop their confidence to become effective speakers and listeners. Carefully planned speaking and listening activities, which include the chance to collaborate, enable learners to deepen their subject knowledge and understanding in all curriculum areas. We will provide the children with the skills to express their thoughts, feelings and emotions effectively. Oracy challenges explicitly model how to

Teachers will explicitly teach the skill, and provide opportunities, to think critically, reason together, and be taught the vocabulary to express their knowledge and understanding. We will provide opportunities for the children to use their oracy skills in a range of contexts.

At HBJs, we recognise that Oracy is a powerful tool in every aspect of daily life. Through the deliberate, explicit and systematic teaching of oracy across phases, children will be taught the skills, vocabulary and the opportunity to develop their confidence to become effective speakers and listeners. Through carefully planned oracy activities, children will learn, enabling them to deepen their subject knowledge and understanding in all curriculum areas. We will provide the children with the skills and opportunities to express their thoughts, feelings and emotions. Teachers will explicitly teach the skill, and provide opportunities, to think critically, reason together, and be taught the vocabulary to express their knowledge and understanding. We will provide opportunities for the children to use their oracy skills in a range of contexts.

Subject dream

Oracy permeates every aspect of life and it is vital that we teach it systematically to equip children with the skills and confidence to communicate effectively. It plays a critical role in supporting young people's wellbeing and mental health by providing students with the skills and opportunities to express their thoughts, feelings and emotions, ask for help, interact effectively and positively with peers and adults, and feel listened to and valued. We want children to build strong relationships which depend on effective communication, so children will develop their oracy skills to form friendships with their peers and teachers.

Engaging in high-quality oracy practices during lessons will enable children to deepen their understanding and is linked with greater knowledge retention, vocabulary acquisition and reasoning skills. Whether on the stage, in the boardroom or in everyday conversation, we all need to express ourselves and listen to others. Spoken language skills are one of the strongest predictors of a child’s future life chances. We want children to be confident orators enabling them as young people to access employment and thrive in life beyond school. We would like children to grow and have the confidence to face opportunities in life without being held back by the fear of speaking in public, or an inability to rise to the challenge of an interview or presentation.

6 point Subject Fingerprint

1. Listen actively and respond appropriately to others.

2. To speak clearly with appropriate pace, tone and pronunciation with an

increasing use of an appropriate register, including Standard English.

3. Consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the

thoughts of others.

4. To active role in discussions, presentations, performances, role play,

improvisations and debates.

5. Use non-verbal communication appropriately.

6. To use vocabulary appropriately and specific to the topic at hand.

Big ideas

Thinking like a presenter/ an orator

Physical

Orators use their voice and body language to communicate

Orators speak clearly, projecting their voice so they can be heard by their audience.

Orators use posture and gestures to help communicate their ideas.

When speaking, orators vary their pace and tone to engage the listener.

Linguistic

Orators select the appropriate vocabulary and tone to suit their audience.

Orators use rhetorical techniques such as metaphors, humour, hyperbole and alliteration effectively to engage the audience.

Cognitive – content and reasoning

Orators consider the structure and organisation of their talk.

Orators respond and build on the ideas of others given reasons to support their views.

Orators are able to question

Social and emotional – looking, listening and collaborating

Orators actively listen to others and respond appropriately to their audience.