Voice 21 welcomes the recognition that education and skills are vital tools to tackle disadvantage and ensure children from all backgrounds can succeed at the highest levels. Good spoken language is essential to the development of children’s literacy and numeracy skills, as well as academic attainment and longer-term life chances. Children in areas of social disadvantage are at greater risk of having poorer language skills and therefore poorer literacy, numeracy and long-term outcomes. As such, we believe there can be no ‘levelling up’ without ‘speaking up’.  

Evidence from the EEF suggests that a focus on oracy – the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language – is particularly beneficial for students from the least advantaged backgrounds. This is why schools with high levels of disadvantage are increasingly seeking to prioritise oracy and why, at Voice 21, we target our work to schools with the highest proportion of students eligible for Free School Meals. Indeed, more than a third of our current Voice 21 Oracy Schools are in the government’s newly-selected Education Investment Areas. 

Last year, research conducted as part of the Oracy APPG’s Speak for Change report demonstrated that despite a clear recognition of the importance of oracy, there is a concerning variation in the time and attention afforded to it across schools. This is most often due to a lack of clear expectations, information and tools on how to do this effectively. To ensure the success of the levelling-up agenda, we would urge the government to implement the Oracy APPG’s recommendations – particularly around the support, professional development and guidance schools need to develop their oracy provision. This could include the extension of the English Hubs’ remit beyond Reception and Year 1 to include the entire primary phase and with oracy as a key support area alongside early language, phonics and reading.

We also welcome funding for activities that improve students’ confidence and employability through a focus on communication and public speaking. However, access to these opportunities should be a core part of a school’s curricular, rather than extra-curricular, offer. Oracy plays a vital role in preparing students for success in school and in life, and as part of the government’s goal to transform education and opportunities for the most disadvantaged, we urge them to recognise the importance of oracy as part of an effective, empowering and expansive education.