Amy Gaunt, Voice 21

Ten years ago we developed the Oracy Framework in partnership with Oracy Cambridge- a tool that has since helped thousands of teachers to understand, articulate and develop students' speaking, listening and communication skills. But how has our thinking evolved over the past decade? What have we learnt from its use in classrooms across the country?

In this practical session, we’ll explore how the Framework can best support you to teach oracy explicitly and purposefully. You’ll hear about the most effective ways schools are using it, common pitfalls to avoid, and how to apply it to meet the needs of your students. 
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Olivia Platman, The Economist Educational Foundation

Learn practical strategies to confidently explore current issues like climate change and misogny in your classroom. This session offers tools to spark discussion, build critical thinking, and connect students through informed, open-minded dialogue across the curriculum.

Amanda Moorghen & Catherine Pass, Voice 21

In the UK, at least 1.9 million children face challenges with talking and understanding words. Oracy education has the potential to make a big difference for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), but how can schools ensure their provision is truly inclusive?
In this session, a panel of experts will explore: how can universal oracy provision complement targeted and specialist support? How can we build inclusive, oracy-rich classrooms where every voice is valued? How can we create environments that are inclusive of children who communicate differently? Whether you're a classroom teacher, SENDCo or school leader, this session will unpack the complexities of oracy education and the key questions you'll need to grapple with to make it inclusive and impactful.

Sharon Gray, Coventry Alternative Provision Academy

Discover how student-written GCSE revision rap lyrics merge Shakespearean verse with modern rhythms, showcased in the Belgrade Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet collaboration. Learn to harness lyrical oracy for curriculum memorability, using performances and recordings as evidence of progress.

Helena Brzeski, Parkfield Community School / Excelsior MAT

Discover how Parkfield Community School empowers multilingual, disadvantaged pupils through disciplinary oracy, enabling them to articulate expertise across subjects. Learn to implement a progressive EYFS-Year 6 framework that elevates curriculum access, aspirations, and outcomes.

Karen Smith, Christ Church Upper Armley

Discover our school’s journey implementing the Harkness method through staff CPD and student-led discussions from Early Years to Year 6. Witness transformative videos showcasing collaborative, inquiry-based learning that elevates critical thinking, confidence, and inclusive dialogue, fostering high expectations for all learners.

Charmaine Auckburally, Mount Pleasant Junior School

Learn how a school with 98% English Language Learners (EAL) achieved Outstanding OCE status by integrating oracy into its curriculum. Discover strategies for celebrating linguistic diversity, supporting EAL learners, fostering pupil voice, and empowering confident communication. Finally, learn how they developed an oracy-rich school cuture and the impact this has had on our students.

Jane Hawkins, NCETM & Kathleen McBride, Voice21

Learn how the NCETM's Maths Hubs programme is developing teachers' understanding of the significance of talk in the maths classroom. In this session, Jane will share how oracy sits at the heart of a mastery approach to mathematics - which seeks to enhance all students' confidence, enjoyment and progression within the subject. 

Chloe Mullard, Green Meadow Primary School

Discover how explicit oracy teaching transformed school culture, embedding respectful dialogue through assemblies and Personal Development. Learn to use benchmarks in action plans, foster confidence via structured lessons, and see students model peer engagement. Gain strategies to replicate this in your setting.

Samantha Rasmussen, Ely College

Discover Ely’s conversation skills progression model, where students refine one-to-one dialogue with tutors, receiving targeted feedback to advance from simple to complex interactions. Learn how personalised tracking empowers pupils to own their oracy development, complementing broader frameworks.

Melanie Bowman, Hazelbury Primary School, Susan Parker-Stone, Longsight Community Primary & Jaz Dhillon, Leigh Trust

Join 3 primary schools from across the country as they discuss their journeys to oracy excellence and the methods they used to implement a high quality oracy education in their different settings. Led by Jo Brumby from Voice 21, this panel will explore what excellence looked like for them and the impact that a high quality oracy education has had for their school community.

Joanne Birmingham, Pendle Primary Academy

Discover how Pendle Primary Academy transformed its English curriculum to prioritise oracy by replacing written outcomes with presentational tasks. Explore their planning process, lesson development, and three years of impactful results, including enhanced writing quality and pupil voice.

Kelly Rose, Charter Academy

Explore how oral storytelling rebuilds narrative instincts in children, fostering creativity and linguistic confidence. This session demonstrates how structured talk transforms writing outcomes, with hands-on techniques and insights into the impact of storytelling on imagination and pupil voice.

Cathy Spence, St Barnabas CE Primary

Experience a live oracy assembly where children confidently share opinions and adults model high-quality talk. Discover how embedded guidelines and praise foster a culture of communication, with attendees participating as speakers and talk detectives.

Dani Burns, The Halifax

Discover Halifax Academy’s Harkness method, empowering Year 7 students to lead structured discussions on school improvement. Learn how coaching fosters democratic student voice, actionable outcomes, and inclusion, cultivating belonging through collective inquiry.

Craig Scott, Hamstead Hall Academy

Discover how oracy strategies reduce cognitive load in writing by generating ideas through structured talk, informed by Voice 21 pedagogy and Gibbons’ critique of formulaic approaches. Learn to prioritise interpretation over prescriptive models, enhancing written quality across subjects.

Chaitan Rajania, Madani Schools

Discover how Madani’s Cultural LitOracy framework empowers students to articulate challenges and seek support through structured dialogue. Learn strategies for fostering inclusive communication, building a safe school culture, and amplifying student voice across diverse backgrounds.

Sally Edwards, Castle Phoenix Trust

Discover how brain-based language strategies foster neural safety, enabling confident dialogue. Learn three shifts: reframing feedback for dopamine-driven effort, co-creating norms to calm the amygdala, and using thinking stems to activate mirror neurons. Leave with a 30-Day Challenge to rewire classrooms for impactful oracy.

Amy Howe, Voice 21

Employers consistently identify oracy as a key skill that school leavers often lack. Voice 21 Oracy Schools tell us that embedding oracy into careers education helps students feel more confident, articulate, and ready for the world beyond the classroom. We’ve been working with Royal Holloway University to develop some new resources to support students as part of their careers education. Join us to find out how you can integrate oracy into careers education at your school.

Truon Ellis, Haywood Village Academy & Sarah Marriot, Pinner Wood School

This session explores how Haywood Village Academy and Pinner Wood embedded high-quality oracy education by transforming whole-school practices. From inclusive weekly ‘Team Talks’ to pupil-led School Councils structured around oracy, both schools demonstrate practical strategies for elevating student voice, decision-making, and oracy skills across the curriculum and school culture.

Andrew Willis, Jarvin School

Discover how to build and grow a powerful oracy movement through practical workshops led by educators and third-sector leaders. Learn to craft and communicate your vision, engage reluctant stakeholders, measure impact effectively, and foster a culture of oracy that reaches beyond schools into wider community and government networks.

Karen Warwick, The Bell Foundation

This workshop will briefly look at why oracy is fundamental for developing EAL and explore some simple and practical strategies to further develop social, linguistic and academic inclusion in your classroom so that EAL learners can be fully engaged in curriculum learning and can thrive and achieve their potential. The session will explore how an oracy-rich culture will support EAL learners regardless of their proficiency in English, and that this doesn’t need to be time consuming for the teachers!

Kathleen McBride, Voice 21

Scaffolding talk through sentence stems and talk tactics can play a crucial role in helping all students access classroom discussion. But when do these scaffolds limit rather than liberate student talk?
In this practical session, we’ll explore the balance between providing structure and enabling students to express their ideas authentically. You’ll consider when and how to reduce scaffolding without compromising inclusion or quality of talk, helping your students move confidently from guided talk to independent discussion. 

Gemma Papworth, Meridien High School & Shilpa Sisodia, Washwood Heath Multi-Academy Trust

Join two secondary Oracy Centres of Excellence to learn from their journeys to oracy excellence and the methods they used to implement a high quality oracy education in their different sessions. This panel will explore what excellence looked like for them and the impact that a high quality oracy education has had for their school community.