🗣️ Talking, Thinking, Shining: Oracy Skills Take Centre Stage

This week, Raven Class have been sharpening their oracy skills through an exciting activity: speed debating! Each pair of children had just two minutes to debate a thought-provoking statement such as “Winter is the best season”. After presenting their arguments, they summarised their points before moving on to a new partner and a fresh topic.

Mrs Jaeger, Raven Class Teacher, shared:
“The children have really embraced speed debating! It’s fantastic to see them building confidence in speaking and listening, and learning how to structure arguments in a fun, fast-paced way.”

Follow-Up Ideas for Home

• Try a Mini-Debate at Home: Pick a light-hearted topic such as “Cats make better pets than dogs” or “Should homework be banned?”. Give each person one minute to argue their case.
• Encourage Active Listening: After debating, ask your child to summarise what the other person said before sharing their own view.
• Build Vocabulary: Talk about words like ‘however’, ‘on the other hand’, and ‘in conclusion’ to help structure arguments.

Questions Parents Could Ask

• “What was your favourite topic to debate today?”
• “Did you find it easier to argue for or against a statement?”
• “How do you make sure your argument is fair and balanced?”

Why not look at some of the recall video clips about debating on BBC bitesize and have a go at their follow up activities – What is a debate? KS2 English – BBC Bitesize