Oracy
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Our Vision
At Southfields, children will experience a rich diet of talk, learning to speak confidently to a variety of audiences and for a variety of purposes. Oracy will align with our GARK values. Children, staff and parents will speak and listen with respect, kindness and acceptance. They will articulate and express their own thoughts and ideas with confidence throughout the entire curriculum and to the whole school community. Learning in this environment will enable children to develop their own individual voice, understanding its power and potential. 
At Southfields, we believe that spoken language is the foundation of learning, communication, and personal development. As a Voice 21 School, we are committed to embedding high-quality oracy education throughout our curriculum, ensuring that every child develops the confidence and skills to express themselves effectively.
How We Develop Oracy
To help children become articulate, thoughtful speakers and active listeners, we use a range of classroom strategies, including:
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Agreeing, Building, and Challenging – Encouraging children to engage in meaningful discussions by agreeing with others, building on ideas, and confidently challenging different viewpoints.
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A Variety of Talk Structures – We use groupings and discussion formats recommended by Voice 21, such as paired talk, small-group discussions, and whole-class debates, to support all learners.
Oracy Across the Curriculum
Oracy is woven into all aspects of school life. Our curriculum provides both regular opportunities for children to develop their speaking and listening skills and a discrete oracy curriculum that maps out progression across year groups. This ensures that children engage with a range of audiences, purposes, and skills as they grow in confidence and ability.
Celebrating Oracy Success
We believe that valuing and celebrating oracy helps children take pride in their spoken contributions. One of the ways we do this is through oracy stickers, which recognise and reward children for demonstrating strong speaking and listening skills.
By fostering a culture where every child finds and develops their voice, we equip them with the tools to thrive in school and beyond.
Our Oracy Curriculum
Our curriculum integrates a range of regular oracy opportunities across all year groups and subjects. In addition to this, a discrete and dedicated oracy curriculum has been designed for each year group to complement and strengthen our curriculum offering. These can be found below in the form of our 'Oracy Maps'.