With so much focus on the challenges facing the education sector in 2024, it’s easy to miss the wins. However, there has been encouraging progress for the oracy movement this past year. From Labour’s manifesto commitment to embed oracy in the curriculum, to groundbreaking research and inspiring community efforts, 2024 provided reasons to feel hopeful.

Here are 5 key moments for oracy that made a difference in 2024.

Launch of the Oracy Education Commission

The launch of the Commission on the Future of Oracy Education took place in March 2024, at Voice 21’s annual conference ‘The Speaking Summit 2024’. This marked a turning point for oracy, bringing the voices and experiences of a groundswell of teachers to the corridors of Whitehall.

In October, the Commission published its final report, We Need to Talk, which called for oracy to be recognised as the fourth ‘R,’ alongside reading, writing, and arithmetic. The report offered practical recommendations for how this could be achieved. Widespread media coverage brought oracy into the spotlight, raising public awareness and interest. Since its publication, Voice 21 has been working alongside the independent Chair, Geoff Barton CBE, to ensure the Commission’s recommendations become a reality.

Tickets for The Speaking Summit 2025 are on sale 

Extension of Voice North East Project

The Voice North East project (established in September 2023 and extended in October 2024) was formed in response to feedback from schools in the North East. Educators and school leaders identified oracy as a crucial area for student development. 

Uniting 100 schools across all phases in Newcastle, North Tyneside, and Northumberland, Voice North East aims to implement a comprehensive program of whole-school continuing professional development (CPD) to ensure that every student in the North East benefits from a high-quality oracy education. 

Here are the main highlights:

• 96 schools from Newcastle, North Tyneside, and Northumberland are participating, including primary, secondary, first, middle and special schools.
• Teachers from across these schools are taking part in professional development designed to integrate oracy in teaching and learning, their curriculum and wider school life
• More than 31,900 students are benefiting from this initiative.
• The project is set to expand to four more local authorities within the North East Combined Authority, including Sunderland, Gateshead, Durham, and South Tyneside in September 2025!

Oracy October

• Oracy October is a month-long celebration of oracy. It aims to raise awareness of how oracy education can equip young people to thrive in school, work and life. The theme for 2024 was Listen Up!
  
  Throughout the month we reflected on the role of listening in oracy, and how teachers can support their students to become great listeners. We received 1954 sign-ups to our expert-led webinars. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Oracy in the Curriculum and Assessment Review

In July 2024, the government announced the launch of an independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review.

In her statement Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Specifically, the Review will seek to deliver: … A curriculum that ensures children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and ready for work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes young people need to thrive. This includes embedding digital, oracy and life skills in their learning.”

Voice 21 submitted evidence to the Review and we await the interim report which we hope will reflect the importance of oracy in young people’s learning and life beyond school. 

44 Voice 21 Oracy Centres of Excellence and almost 500 new Voice 21 Oracy Schools

By the close of 2024, we welcomed nearly 500 new Voice 21 Oracy Schools into our network and reached a milestone of 44 Voice 21 Oracy Centres of Excellence. These schools, representing various regions of the UK and including our first school from Jersey, have been celebrated for their high-quality oracy provision. 

Our newly established Voice 21 Oracy Centres of Excellence are an important part of the national oracy movement, demonstrating the impact of an oracy education on children and young people across the country. As more schools work towards achieving this status, we are excited to continue expanding our network of Voice 21 Oracy Centres of Excellence, fostering a broader commitment to high-quality oracy for all students.