St PetersCE Primary School

“WITHOUT LANGUAGE, ONE CANNOT TALK TO PEOPLE AND UNDERSTAND THEM; ONE CANNOT SHARE THEIR HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS, GRASP THEIR HISTORY, APPRECIATE THEIR POETRY, OR SAVOUR THEIR SONGS” Nelson Mandela

Curriculum Intent

At St Peter’s CE Primary Academy, we believe that spoken language underpins learning across the curriculum. Our aim is to develop pupils who are articulate, confident communicators who can express their ideas clearly, listen carefully to others and participate thoughtfully in discussion.

As a talk-rich school, we recognise that oracy plays a central role in developing pupils’ linguistic, cognitive, social and emotional skills. Through structured opportunities for discussion, debate and reflection, pupils learn both through talk and to talk, enabling them to deepen their understanding and communicate effectively.

Our curriculum aims to ensure that pupils:

• listen actively and respond thoughtfully to others. Pupil's at St. Peter's track the speaker.

• speak clearly and confidently for different audiences and purposes. 

• develop a rich and precise vocabulary.

• engage respectfully in discussion and debate.

• build the confidence to express their ideas and challenge others constructively.

Through this approach, we aim to equip pupils with the communication skills needed to participate confidently in school life and in the wider world.

Curriculum Implementation

Oracy is embedded across all areas of the curriculum and school life. Pupils engage in regular opportunities for structured talk, collaborative discussion and reflective dialogue during lessons and wider school activities.

In addition to these embedded opportunities, pupils receive discrete oracy lessons to explicitly develop speaking and listening skills.

Children’s talk is supported through:

• displayed talk scaffolds

• explicit teaching of vocabulary

• opportunities for reflection and discussion

• consistent modelling of high-quality talk by adults.

Drama is also used as a key tool to support oracy development within English lessons, enabling pupils to explore ideas, rehearse language and develop confidence when speaking.

Across the curriculum, pupils are encouraged to engage in both:

• exploratory talk, where they develop and refine ideas through discussion

• presentational talk, where they communicate ideas clearly to an audience.

Our teaching is underpinned by a four-strand framework focusing on linguistic, physical, cognitive, and social and emotional aspects of communication. This framework helps pupils understand what effective speaking and listening look like as they progress through the school.

Structured discussion strategies, inspired by the work of Doug Lemov, support pupils in developing disciplined discussion. For example, pupils use the ABC strategy (Agree, Build upon, Challenge) to respond to the ideas of others in a thoughtful and structured way.

Curriculum Impact

Through our oracy curriculum, pupils develop the confidence and ability to communicate clearly, listen respectfully and contribute thoughtfully to discussions.

They become increasingly able to:

• articulate their ideas clearly and coherently

• engage respectfully with differing viewpoints

• use vocabulary precisely

• present ideas confidently to an audience.

As a result, pupils leave St Peter’s as articulate, thoughtful and confident communicators, equipped with the skills needed to participate actively in their education and in wider society.