Why Oracy Matters

On entry to school, disadvantaged children’s spoken language development is significantly lower than their more advantaged peers

These gaps grow as children move through school. Students receiving free school meals are twice as likely to be below the expected language standard at age 11, up from 1.6 times at age 5.

On leaving school, children with poor verbal communication skills are less likely to find employment and more likely to suffer from mental health difficulties.

Oracy increases engagement in learning

Learning is rich and enjoyable when students bring their own voices and experiences to school life.

Oracy improves academic outcomes

Developing learners who think critically, reason together and have the vocabulary to express their knowledge and understanding.

Oracy fosters wellbeing and confidence

Empowering students to build successful relationships and understand that their voice has value.

Oracy supports transitions and enhances employability

Oracy helps students flourish in further education, higher education and employment.

Oracy equips students to thrive in democratic and civic life

Helping students learn how to exercise their civic rights identities and to find their voices.

Oracy promotes social equity

Leading to a fairer society where everyone, regardless of background, can find success in school and in life.

The EEF evidence on oral language interventions has found the impact for early years to be +7 months of additional progress, the impact for primary schools to be +6 months, and for secondary schools to be +5 months.

The EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit shows that oral-language interventions are ranked joint-second when addressing their impact on student outcomes.
Oral language ability plays an important role in GCSE attainment; students with higher language ability are more likely to achieve an A*-C grade in GCSE Mathematics, English Language, and English Literature.

According to Speech and Language UK’s report Talking about a Generation, without oracy skills, young people are significantly less likely to be employed, and are more likely to experience mental health issues and enter the criminal justice system.
In our 2021-22 Impact Report, Voice 21 found that oracy increased students’ academic, social, and emotional confidence and can help with academic success, as well as peer relationships and emotional wellbeing.

Voice 21 surveyed over 5000 young people, and found that students’ anxiety and nervousness about speaking increases as they move to secondary school. However, our research reveals that an explicit focus on oracy fosters confidence, academically and socially and emotionally.
A report on school performance and adult outcomes found that children who have poor vocabulary in their early years have lower qualifications and a lower chance of being employed at age 34.

Classroom discussions facilitate the development of important skills and attitudes that students need to become participating citizens in a democratic society.
Studies have shown that group discussion encourages open-mindedness among students, particularly during discussions of controversial issues. Researchers at Linnaeus University in Sweden conducted a study whose findings indicated that group discussion is conducive to the use of more nuanced reasoning around controversial issues, as well as more reasoned and elaborate writing.

According to Speech and Language UK, ‘it is entirely possible to break the link between language difficulties and disadvantage, with the right support at home, in early education and in school.’
According to the EEF, oral language interventions can be used to close disadvantage gaps and provide support to students whose language skills are behind their more advantaged peers.

Abbey Multi Academy Trust

Leeds

“Without a doubt introducing oracy has been transformational… I credit lots of the changes we have seen down to our focus on oracy as students are confident that they are being listened to and can articulate how they feel…When you’re in a classroom, it feels like students are making significant progress around, not just what they’re learning within that subject but these greater learning skills as well, so you can really see students confidence just blooming really through using some of the oracy strategies”

Hazelbury Primary School

London

“We believe that spoken language is an essential tool for our children to become model citizens of tomorrow. Oracy is beginning to be embedded throughout our wide and balanced curriculum. Teachers are setting high expectations and modelling the correct use of oracy for our children to allow them to become confident speakers for a range of different purposes and audiences. Just like English and maths, a good level of oracy is achieved by teaching a set of core skills, which at Hazelbury, we believe are very important.”

Boothroyd Primary School

West Yorkshire

“I believe oracy skills are vital in life, with corridors of power in this country dominated by oracy, any position of power or privilege is dominated by your ability to speak and advocate for yourself and others too…When I walked the corridors recently, I could just hear the buzz of language and quality of oracy.”

Why oracy matters

Why does a high-quality oracy education matter?