Oracy at Waterside

Oracy at Waterside

At Waterside, we believe that every child deserves a voice — and the confidence, skills, and vocabulary to use it well.

Oracy is the ability to express ideas clearly, listen thoughtfully, and engage positively with others through spoken language. It plays a vital role in children’s learning, wellbeing, and future success, helping them to explain their thinking, build relationships, and participate confidently in the world around them.

Our Oracy Journey

In November 2025, we began a whole-school focus on oracy, strengthening our approach to speaking and listening across all year groups. This work ensures that oracy is not left to chance, but is explicitly taught, practised, and celebrated as a core part of school life.

Through our partnership with Voice 21, we are developing a shared language and consistent approach so that all children are supported to communicate effectively, respectfully, and confidently.

Why Oracy Matters

Strong speaking and listening skills help children to:

• Share ideas clearly and with confidence

• Listen carefully and respond thoughtfully to others

• Develop a rich and varied vocabulary

• Deepen understanding across all areas of learning

• Build self-esteem and positive relationships

These skills support academic success and prepare children for life beyond the classroom.

Our Oracy Vision

We aim for every child to:

• Develop confidence in speaking and listening, including when addressing larger audiences

• Engage respectfully with others in school and the wider community

• Build a rich and varied vocabulary, enabling them to express themselves with clarity and precision

Our vision is for all pupils to leave Waterside as confident, considerate, and capable speakers and listeners — ready to make their voices heard in the world.

Oracy in Everyday School Life

Oracy is embedded across the curriculum and in daily school life. Children regularly take part in:

• Partner and group discussions

• Structured classroom talk and debate

• Presentations and performances for different audiences

• Purposeful speaking and listening activities that build confidence and collaboration

Children learn that effective communication is about both speaking and listening, and that respectful talk helps everyone to learn and thrive.

Learning How to Talk Well

We explicitly teach children how to use different types of talk, including:

• Exploratory talk – working together, sharing ideas, giving reasons, and politely challenging one another

• Cumulative talk – building on ideas in a supportive way

• Disputational talk – recognising when talk becomes unhelpful or competitive

By learning how to talk well, children become stronger thinkers, collaborators, and communicators.

Preparing Children for the Future

Our commitment to oracy ensures that children leave Waterside not only as successful learners, but as confident individuals who can express themselves, listen with empathy, and contribute positively to their community.

At Waterside, every voice matters — and we are proud to help children find, develop, and use theirs.

To find out more about Voice 21, you can visit their website: https://voice21.org/