Alexandra Park Primary

Oracy at Alexandra Park is underpinned by the careful alignment of school development priorities and thoughtful context-based implementation – which, as an EEF Research School, we believe is key to success.

In this session, we’ll begin by telling the story of Alexandra Park pre-Voice 21, and how previous whole-school focuses paved the way for oracy. We’ll consider the key role of the Oracy Lead, map out stakeholder pathways, and explore how to ensure strong communication between them. Furthermore, we’ll share how our approach to oracy is now influencing development in further areas of school life, such as belonging, as well as how we have joined up this work within our role as a research school, as we support other local schools through the successful Stockport Speaks programme.

Toby Butt -Teacher

Claire Williams - Deputy Head and Head of Research School

 Claycots School 

This session will give the context of our large (8-form entry across two sites) primary school in Slough and how we take teachers through to Oracy Advocates. We will include some of our methods, such as theory and classroom practise, CPD, filming for feedback and listening walks. We will include both successes and areas we have refined during the process.

Tamara Brown - Deputy Head and Lead for Oracy 

Ely College

How we embedded oracy across our curriculum in a large secondary school and sixth form. Focusing on where to start, barriers or hurdles along the way, and solutions to key challenges 

Samantha Rasmussen - Teacher, Senior Management

Coventry Academy 

 Presentational talk and student showcase with a key focus on the physical and linguistic strand. 

Sharon Gray - Head of English & Oracy

Fender Primary School

This session tells the story of how our school has placed oracy at the heart of its culture to cultivate authentic voice and a deep sense of pride in our local community.

Through a combination of practical examples (including performance poetry projects and living history programmes) and reflective insights, we will share how we have created classroom environments where talk is purposeful, inclusive and empowering.

The session will provide tangible approaches to embedding oracy across a school, from teacher development to curriculum design, while remaining grounded in lived experience.

Aimee Ellis - Teacher, Senior Management

Charles Hewitt - Headteacher

Neve Pritchard - Teacher and KS2 Curriculum Lead

St Barnabas

In our session, we will run through the development of our subject leaders as oracy experts and then highlight a case study of PE, enrichment activities and OPAL Play. We will run delegates through how we have ensured oracy is a golden thread that enhances curriculum provision in PE, enhances enrichment activities and is central to play at our school.

St Barnabas students will join us to share their views on the impact of oracy on keeping children active. We will also be focusing on how oracy through PE and play develops citizens of the future who can make a difference.

Cathy Spence - Teacher, Senior Management

Lucy Merrett - OPAL curriculum lead

Hinckley Parks 

Our session will focus on the linguistic oracy strand and how we teach this explicitly in school. We will focus on oracy strategies, including focus word grids, the generation of actions to accompany new vocabulary rehearsal and vocabulary bullseye.

Jasmin Whitehurst - Teacher

Cathy Suett - Deputy Headteacher

Foxford School

This workshop will explore how Foxford Community School has developed oracy from a set of classroom strategies into a visible whole-school culture. We will share how we used Think-Pair-Share, roles in talk and shared routines through our Big 3 teaching and learning model, before deepening the work through disciplinary oracy, tutor-time provision and student leadership opportunities. The session will include practical examples, reflections on implementation, and honest lessons learned about building consistency, confidence and participation across a secondary school context.

Darren Dhesi - Teacher, Senior Management

Wistaston Academy

This live interactive session showcases how a carefully structured, text-based drama approach can be combined with an oracy-led springboard to produce purposeful, high-quality writing in a primary context, including for pupils with SEND. Participants will experience a model lesson as learners, demonstrating the pedagogical journey from talk, through drama, to writing.

Participants will explore strategies such as Story Stick, Read the Picture, and Teacher in Role, leading into a structured oracy “springboard” that supports pupils in articulating ideas before writing. The session emphasises process drama rather than performance, offering a clear, replicable model for translating high-quality talk into meaningful written outcomes.

Fran Shaw - Teacher, Senior Management

Lammack Primary School

We will share our vision, how we raised oracy standards in our school, how our oracy curriculum was developed, our plan to sustain our change and the impact oracy has had on pupil outcomes in a school with a very high percentage of EAL children.

Cameron Elliott - Teacher & Oracy Lead

Paula Duckworth - Headteacher

 Carmel College 

We have developed a very niche approach to oracy at Carmel College that focuses on oracy for life and employment and not the seemingly traditional view of oracy for academic outcomes. We would love to encourage others to be brave and bold and to really see the value in making the journey as a Voice 21 centre something that is truly personal to your setting and your students.

Leanne Williams - Teacher, 16-18 provision

Katie Lamping - Assistant Head of RE and Oracy Champion

St John and St Francis Church School
Brooklands Farm Primary School
Stacey Primary School, Cardiff

St John and St Francis Church School is a large, diverse primary school in Somerset and serves an area of high deprivation. The children come from the most deprived 10% nationally.

Brooklands Farm Primary School occupies two sites approximately 1km apart, located in a brand-new, culturally diverse community where over 50 languages are spoken.

Stacey Primary School is a multicultural school in the heart of inner-city Cardiff. They have become the first V21 Centre of Excellence in Wales.

Lee Butt - Teacher, Senior Management: St John and St Francis Church School

Tamar Warner - Head of School: St John and St Francis Church School

Elethea Scovell - Teacher: Brooklands Primary School

Maxine Low - Executive Headteacher: Brooklands Primary School

Melissa Taylor - UKS2 Head and Curriculum Lead: Brooklands Primary School

Emma Vokes - Headteacher: Stacey Primary School

Sana Sarwar - Oracy Lead: Stacey Primary School

Pendle Primary Academy

A session looking at the consistencies of shared approaches from EYFS and through KS1. Focusing on the use of eyes to eyes and knees to knees and the progression of introducing different groupings through these year groups. The session will include links to the V21 Oracy framework, discussion guidelines and the use of listening ladders to promote independence in exploratory talk. The session will also look at adaptations to support children with needs.

Joanne Birmingham - Teacher, Senior Management

Northfield Manor Academy

Following school success in debating competitions and poetry slams, we wanted to ensure that all of our pupils had an opportunity to develop their Oracy to brighten their futures. We reshaped our writing curriculum around purpose and effect and built in storytelling, speech making and debating for all. Interspersed with live pupil performance, we would like to share how we achieved this, the impact on our pupils and Ofsted's feedback on our Oracy approach.

Tom Hull - Headteacher

Natalie Sutton - Oracy Lead

Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust

Excelsior Multi Academy Trust

Excelsior Multi Academy Trust view the development of oracy as a school improvement and Trust-wide priority. With the aim of achieving centres of excellence in all 8 of our primary settings, the strategic drive for oracy is essential in the foundational approach to school development.

Washwood Heath are working towards a consistent, high-quality approach to oracy across all 7 schools, ensuring every pupil develops confidence, clarity, and critical thinking through spoken language. They are developing a shared oracy framework (e.g. aligned to the 6 key strands/ “circles”).

Hannah Auger - Director of English: Excelsior Multi Academy Trust

Helena Brzesk - Director of Technology: Excelsior Multi Academy Trust

Shilpa Sisodia - Teacher, Senior Manager: Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust

Madani Schools

A session exploring how to support staff with their oracy. If we expect staff to model and implement oracy for students, we assume that they are already competent with oracy themselves. This is not always the case. During this session we will identify needs, CPD and how to create a strong culture of oracy beyond the classroom for teachers and support staff.

Chaitan Rajania - Teacher, Senior Manager