Mar 4th

Ravens Class Lead the Way with Confident Communication

This week, our Ravens Class children have been developing their oracy skills through a rich set of Talk Tactics: instigate, build on, challenge, probe, clarify, and summarise. These strategies helped the children think deeply about what they wanted to say and how they expressed it.

Discussions were thoughtful, lively and wonderfully respectful. Children practised taking turns, making eye contact, listening closely to each other and responding with kindness—showing a real maturity and sense of community. Their confidence grew with every conversation, and it was a joy to watch.

“My own class has been exploring the same Talk Tactics, and it has been wonderful to see the children growing in confidence as they speak, listen, question and build on each other’s ideas. Their developing communication skills are supporting every part of their learning.”
— Mrs Jaeger

What Is Oracy?

Oracy describes the speaking and listening skills children need to express themselves clearly, listen carefully, build relationships and engage thoughtfully with the world. The National Literacy Trust highlights that strong oracy helps children:

Understand new ideas more deeply
Grow in confidence and self‑belief
Develop friendships and teamwork skills
Prepare for future education and life, from interviews to presentations

This is one of the ways we help our children Love, Learn, Shine—valuing every voice, celebrating ideas and nurturing confidence.

Voice 21: Strengthening Oracy Across St Peter’s

As part of our whole‑school journey, we are also delighted to be drawing on ideas and approaches from Voice 21, a national charity committed to improving children’s oracy education. Their work supports schools in developing a strong, structured culture of talk so that every child can flourish as a confident communicator.

Voice 21 offers:

Practical classroom approaches that help children develop strong speaking and listening habits
Frameworks and guidance to support teachers in planning high‑quality discussion
Research‑informed training that strengthens oracy practice across the school
Tools that help children reflect on their own communication, empowering them to grow as thoughtful speakers and listeners

We are pleased to be using Voice 21 materials and approaches to enrich how we teach oracy across St Peter’s. This supports every child in our vision to Love, Learn, Shine—feeling confident, valued, and equipped to communicate clearly throughout their lives.

For parents wishing to learn more about Voice 21 and how oracy can be supported at home, you can visit:
👉 https://voice21.org/

“Across St Peter’s we place great importance on developing strong communication skills in every class. Oracy is a powerful part of helping our children Love, Learn, Shine. I am delighted to share this wonderful example from Ravens Class—it exemplifies the efforts being made across the whole school to strengthen this vital aspect of our work.”
— Mr Griffiths, Headteacher

Supporting Oracy at Home

Here are some simple ways to build strong speaking and listening habits:

1. Talk Together Every Day

Ask open questions such as:

“What made you think that?”
“Can you explain that in another way?”

2. Model Great Listening

Show what good listening looks like—pausing, giving eye contact, and responding thoughtfully.

3. Encourage Children to Explain Their Thinking

Whether choosing dinner or planning the weekend, ask them to explain their ideas.

4. Share Stories and Talk About Them

Discuss characters, pictures or ideas—wordless books can be especially powerful.

5. Provide Real‑Life Speaking Opportunities

Let children order in shops, greet visitors, or explain something they know well.

Shining Brightly in Ravens Class

We are incredibly proud of Ravens Class. This week has shown just how powerful oracy can be—helping our children to Love, Learn, Shine through confident communication, thoughtful listening and supportive teamwork.

For parents who would like to explore oracy further, the National Literacy Trust provides clear, helpful information for families:

Posted In Curriculum, General News

💬 Confident Communicators: Oracy in Action