Oracy at High Spen – a statement of intent 2026

In September 2025, we began to work with Voice 21, a national charity focused on Oracy (the development of spoken language skills). Please click the following image, the short video will explain the theory behind their work.

At High Spen, we want to develop a whole-school approach to Oracy that will integrate quality talk across our curriculum. Our aim is to build our pupils’ confidence, understanding and engagement so that they are successful in education and in life.

We see Oracy as going beyond just speaking; it involves:

• developing clarity and confidence in speech

• learning to listen actively and respond thoughtfully

• engaging with others to problem solve and make decisions collaboratively

• using talk to deepen learning and to build stronger relationships

We will use the Voice 21 Oracy framework which organises Oracy skills into four strands: Physical, Linguistic, Cognitive and Social and Emotional.