Dear Prime Minister,

Two years ago you pledged that under your Labour government, every child would be supported to develop essential oracy skills — as part of the mission to ensure all young people are prepared for work and ready for life. We urge you to turn that promise into lasting change.

In a world shaped by rapid advances in artificial intelligence, deepening social divides and persistent inequality, the skills of speaking, listening & communication have never been more urgently needed.

These skills underpin children’s academic performance, emotional well-being and relationships with others. Oracy education boosts engagement in learning, builds confidence, and fosters a vital sense of belonging at school. There’s plenty of evidence that it also raises standards of attainment across the board.

Parents and employers recognise that oracy education helps young people succeed in the workplace, navigate the complexities of digital life and engage constructively in an increasingly polarised world. They want to see oracy given greater priority in schools.

We are calling on you to make oracy the fourth ‘R’, alongside reading, writing, and arithmetic, and to establish it as a core part of the national curriculum and assessment system.

Your leadership can ensure oracy is embedded at the heart of our education system, so that the next generation are ready for the future and can thrive in school, work and life.

Signed:

Peter Ashworth, Chief Executive Officer, Cidari Multi Academy Trust

Dr Ioanna Bakopoulou, Associate Professor in Psychology in Education, University of Bristol

Victoria Bagnall, Co-Founder & Director of Training and Development, Connections in Mind CIC

Geoff Barton CBE, Chair of the Oracy Education Commission

Barbara Bleiman, Education Consultant, Writer and Children’s Poet, English and Media Centre

Jeffrey Boakye, Author and educator

Rt Hon Lord Bradley, House of Lords

Charles Byrne, Director General, English Speaking Union

Alastair Campbell

Nick Chambers, CEO, Education and Employers

Gina Cicerone, CEO, The Fair Education Alliance

Charles Clarke, Former Education Secretary

Professor Stephen Coleman, University of Leeds and former member of the Oracy Education Commission

Ken Conwen, CEO, School of Hard Knocks

Gareth Conyard, CEO, Teacher Development Trust

Rob Drummond, Professor of Sociolinguistics, Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Susan Ebbels, Director of Moor House Research and Training Institute, Moor House School & College and Honorary Lecturer, University College London

Jason Elsom, Chief Executive, Parentkind

Russell Findlay, Chief Executive Officer, Speakers Trust

Dr Rebecca Fisher, Chief Executive Officer, English Association

Naomi Flynn, Professor of Multilingual Education, University of Reading Institute of Education

Jen Fox, CEO, Action Tutoring

Alice Gardner, CEO, Edge Foundation

Catherine Garrett, Co-CEO and Director of Education, Abbey MAT

Diana Gerald MBE, Co-Chief Executive, BookTrust

Sarah Green, Trust Leader and The Literacy Coach (independent consultant)

Susannah Hardyman, CEO, Impetus

Jane Harris, Chief Executive, Speech and Language UK

Laura Holmes, Associate Director, Talking Mats Ltd.

Sarah Houghton, Director, Mental Health Workforce Development, Place2Be

Kate Harris, CEO & Founder, VotesforSchools

Nick Harrison, Chief Executive, The Sutton Trust

Beryl Henshaw, Director, Business and Education Together Network

Lewis Iwu, Founding Partner, Purpose Union

Steve Jamieson, CEO, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Elizabeth Kennedy, General Manager, Speech Bubbles CIO

Simon Kidwell, School Principal, Hartford Manor Primary School and Nursery

Dr Rupert Knight, Associate Professor in Education, University of Nottingham

Grace Lockrobin, Director of Philosophy and Education, SAPERE – The Society for the Advancement of Philosophical Enquiry and Reflection in Education, soon to be renamed ‘Thoughtful’

Ed Marsh, CEO, Tutor Trust

Andrew McCallum, Director, English and Media Centre

Ashley McCaul, CEO, Think Forward

Professor Neil Mercer, Director, Oracy Cambridge, Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge

The RT Hon. Baroness Morris of Yardley

Mary Myatt, Education writer and speaker

Jacqui O’Hanlon, Deputy Executive Director, Royal Shakespeare Company

1Voice Communicating Together 

Dr Kate Paradine, CEO, Voice 21

Dame Alison Peacock, CEO, Chartered College of Teaching

Sophie Pender, Founder and Chief Executive, The 93% Club

Adam Power-Annand, CEO, Speech Bubbles CIO

Tina Renshaw, CEO, The English Speaking Board

Jack Reynolds, CEO and Founder, Football Beyond Borders

Professor Jessie Ricketts, Professor of Psychology, Vice Dean for Research and Knowledge Exchange, Royal Holloway, University of London

Hywel Roberts, Teacher Writer Speaker, Create Learn Inspire Ltd.

Liz Robinson, CEO, Big Education

Professor Michael Rosen, Professor of Children’s Literature, Goldsmiths University of London

Mohammed T Sidat MBE, Chief Executive Officer, IMO Charity

Professor Julia Snell, Professor of Sociolinguistics, University of Leeds

Emma Swinn MBE, Director of Operations and Development, SAPERE – The Society for the Advancement of Philosophical Enquiry and Reflection in Education, soon to be renamed ‘Thoughtful’

Phil Thomason, Chairman, Selective Mutism & Research Association (SMiRA)

Neil Thompson, Director, Commtap CIC

Sonia Thompson, Headteacher/ Director of St Matthew’s Research School, St Matthew’s CofE Primary School

Mike Tucker, Head of Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation

Victoria Wadsworth, Chair of NAPLIC, NAPLIC

Michael Walsh, Let’s Think Chair of Trustees, Council and Lead Tutor for English, Let’s Think Charity