Webinar: Oracy in primary schools

What is the purpose of this webinar?

This webinar is part of a series around curriculum enrichment in primary schools as part of the extensive Rethinking Curriculum project. This series aims to support and equip both teachers and school leaders with the knowledge and skills to identify, plan and implement curriculum development work in a sustainable, creative and impactful way. 

Who is this webinar aimed at?

This webinar will be particularly valuable to primary teachers, those involved in curriculum design more broadly, and all educators who want to learn about an oracy-based curriculum in practice. 

What does the webinar explore?

In this webinar, expert practitioners and researchers – Jo Brumby, Hydeh Fayaz and Rachel Higginson – share insights and experiences about embedding oracy across the curriculum. At the end of their presentations, there is a Q&A session to learn about the why, how and what next in oracy curriculum development. 

How could I use this webinar to support my team?

This webinar could be re-watched with your school leadership or teaching teams to develop a shared understanding of this approach. We have prepared some reflective questions that could be used to inform discussions and begin to consider what this might look like in your context. 

The webinar has been edited split into the following sections:

1. 0.13 – Jo Brumby, Head of Product Management at Voice 21, explains the importance of oracy, the key principles that underpin effective practice and provides some practical strategies to trial in the classroom.
2. 11.27 – Rachel Higginson, Educational Consultant and founder of ‘Finding My Voice’ project. Rachel designed and developed the ‘Finding My Voice’ project based in Devon. The aim is to support young people to physically and metaphorically ‘find their voice’. She shares the core principles that underpin this approach. 
3. 20.01 – Hydeh Fayaz, Acting Deputy Headteacher at St Matthew’s Research School, shares her school’s journey embedding an oracy-based curriculum.
4. 35.36 – A Q&A session to further explore the challenges, opportunities and practicalities of introducing and implementing an oracy-based curriculum. 

Reflective questions

As you watch the webinar, you may wish to note down insights that build on your understanding of this work. 

You may wish to consider: 

• What principles and practices resonate with your current understanding and application of oracy?
• How have the presentations shifted your current thinking around oracy? How could this inform your approach going forward?
• Why do you think oracy could be important for the students in your context?
• What ideas from the Oracy Framework could you use in your school?
• What are the challenges of adopting this approach? How have the presenters attempted to overcome these?
• What are your key takeaways from the webinar? 
• Are there any further questions you have about introducing, implementing or refining your current approach to oracy?

Webinar