We’re delighted to celebrate the launch of our 2022-23 Impact Report. Voice 21’s mission is to transform the learning and life chances of young people through talk so that all children learn to use their voice for success in school and in life.  

In this year’s Impact Report, you can read more about the progress we have made towards achieving our mission, including a spotlight on the difference oracy education is making in four Voice 21 Oracy Schools from around the country and at different points on their oracy journey.

Key findings:

  • We provided 20,780 hours of support to 852 schools.
  • We reached just under 203,000 students, from Jersey to Dundee.
  • 69% of the schools we worked with last year are in the top 40% of schools with the greatest proportion of students eligible for Free School Meals.
  • Over 3 years, the number of teachers in schools we work with who rated themselves as confident oracy practitioners, increased from 30% to 70%. 
  • By the end of our two-year Voicing Vocabulary project, students in Year 6 and 7 were more likely to have an above-average reading score than their peers nationally.
  • We used comparative judgment to assess the oracy skills of 463 Year 5 students in 55 Voice 21 Oracy Schools across England and Wales, generating an average school oracy score. We found that this average score improves by 50% when we compare first and fourth-year Voice 21 Oracy Schools.

    The Case Studies

    A group of secondary school students huddle around a table to discuss their work collectively.

    The Hayfield School – Doncaster

    When beginning to develop their provision, leaders at The Hayfield School were particularly focused on how oracy education could support teachers to create an inclusive learning environment where every student can succeed.

    Grove Street Primary School – Wirral

    At Grove Street, teachers and leaders have primarily focused on oracy education as a means to enhance the school’s pastoral care, creating an environment where students feel safe and able to use their voices. This has led to improvements in students’ emotional regulation, mental health and overall wellbeing.

    A group of young primary school students sit with their teacher in a circle. One is wearing a wizard's hat and is brandishing a wand - another student is wearing ear protectors.
    A primary student stands in front of engaged learners

    Summerhill Academy – Bristol

    Over the past two years, teachers and leaders at Summerhill Academy have been developing how they support students to learn both to and through talk, with a particular focus on maths.

    Challney High School for Girls – Luton

    At Challney High School for Girls, every student is explicitly taught the oracy skills they need to engage fully in classroom discussion and in the wider school community.

    Three high school girls sat discussing a magazine in a library.

    Read our other research publications

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