Welcome to the Oracy area of our website! 

The subject leads for Oracy at St James' are Miss Bryan and Mrs Malik.

Christian Vision for Oracy

At St James’, our Christian vision for Oracy is rooted in love, respect, compassion, truth, justice and fairness. We believe every child’s voice is valuable and should be heard. Through purposeful talk, careful listening and thoughtful reflection, pupils learn to express their ideas confidently, speak truthfully and respectfully, and appreciate the beliefs and viewpoints of others.

Oracy supports children’s academic, social, emotional and spiritual development. It enables them to work collaboratively, resolve disagreements with kindness, reflect on their choices and use their voices to make a positive difference. By learning to speak with courage and listen with compassion, our pupils are equipped to flourish, live life to the full and contribute to Building One Faith, One Family, Our Future.

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak.”
James 1:19

Oracy Subject Overview

Purpose of Oracy

Oracy is the ability to communicate confidently and effectively through speaking and listening. At St James’, we believe that every child has a voice that deserves to be heard. Oracy is taught explicitly and developed throughout the curriculum because purposeful talk helps pupils to think, learn, build relationships and participate fully in school and wider life.

What pupils will learn

From the Early Years to Year 6, pupils are supported to:

* listen attentively and respond appropriately;

* speak clearly, confidently and audibly;

* develop and use an increasingly rich vocabulary;

* organise and explain their ideas;

* ask thoughtful questions and build upon the contributions of others;

* give reasons and evidence for their opinions;

* participate in discussions, debates, presentations and performances;

* adapt their language for different audiences and purposes;

* agree and disagree respectfully;

Teachers model high-quality spoken language and provide structured opportunities for talk through partner work, collaborative learning, sentence stems, discussion and reflection.

End Goals

By the time pupils leave St James’, we aim for them to be confident, thoughtful and respectful communicators. They should be able to listen with understanding, express their ideas clearly, justify their opinions, ask purposeful questions and contribute constructively to a range of discussions. Pupils will understand that effective communication involves valuing the voices of others as well as using their own.

Developing the Whole Child

Oracy supports pupils’ academic, social, emotional and spiritual development. It helps children to develop confidence, independence, empathy, resilience and teamwork. Through purposeful conversation, pupils learn to manage disagreements, consider different perspectives, reflect on their thoughts and choices, and form positive relationships.

Christian Vision and Values

Our approach to Oracy is rooted in our Christian values of love, thankfulness, truth, justice, compassion and fairness. Pupils are encouraged to speak truthfully and kindly, listen with patience and respect, and use their voices to support others and make a positive difference.

Through speaking, listening and reflection, Oracy helps every child to flourish, live life to the full and contribute to our mission of “Building One Faith, One Family, Our Future.”

 

Where does Oracy begin at St James’?

Oracy begins as soon as children enter our Early Years Foundation Stage. Through warm relationships, purposeful play and language-rich learning environments, children are encouraged to listen, talk, ask questions and share their thoughts, feelings and experiences.

Adults model clear spoken language, introduce new vocabulary and extend children’s responses through sensitive questioning and conversation. Children develop their communication skills through stories, songs, rhymes, role play, collaborative activities and daily discussions. Visual prompts, sentence stems and repetition support all children, including those with additional communication needs.

By the end of EYFS, children are increasingly able to listen attentively, follow instructions, take turns in conversation, express their ideas in full sentences and respond appropriately to others. These foundations prepare them to become confident, respectful communicators as they progress through school.

 

At St James' we believe in the importance of oracy and teach it discreetly from Reception to Year 6. Oracy outcomes are woven into the curriculum, focusing on progression, to give all children at St James the opportunity to develop these important life skills.

Oracy 2026/27

Meet our Oracy Champions Talk Team:

The children were elected to their role and came up with three main aims for the year ahead:

1. Train and support other Pupil Voice Groups – share ideas, strategies and activities to help develop confident communication across school.

2. Build confidence and celebrate success – create opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills, recognise progress and celebrate achievements.

3. Plan and lead an Oracy Themed Day – work together to organise a whole-school day focused on developing and celebrating oracy skills.

Our Talk Team's Mission Statement:

Have a look at the Pupil Voice Padlet to see what our talk team are doing in school this year:

Talk Rules 2026/27

Each class has a set of talk rules that they agree together and these talk rules are regularly referred to in class. These talk rules are progressive and allow children to become good communicators and listeners.