Oracy
Our Oracy Vision: Articulate, Confident Communicators
At Holland Park, we believe that Oracy (the ability to express oneself and understand others through speaking, listening, and communication) is fundamental to all learning.It is our intention that all pupils will be equipped with the powerful knowledge and skills to be articulate, effective communicators in any situation, which is crucial for achieving educational success and participating fully in a democratic society.
We aim for every child to:
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Speak confidently and fluently using accurate, sophisticated vocabulary.
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Listen actively and respond thoughtfully to others.
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Structure arguments and express ideas clearly in both formal and informal settings.
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Use talk to deepen their understanding across all areas of the curriculum.
Holland Park Curriculum Principles for Oracy
What Oracy looks like at HP
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Oracy is treated as a core skill that underpins and accelerates learning across all subjects, not just English.
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Learning opportunities are consistently planned to develop the physical (e.g., voice, projection), linguistic (e.g., vocabulary, grammar), cognitive (e.g., structuring thought), and social/emotional (e.g., listening, confidence) aspects of talk.
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Oracy skills are progressive across all year groups, with explicit expectations for speaking and listening mapped out in progression documents.
How we are going to achieve everything that is set out in the curriculum
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Explicit Instruction: Teachers provide explicit modelling of high-quality talk, including sentence stems ("golden sentences") to support pupils in explaining their thinking and reasoning across subjects.
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Oral Rehearsal: Pupils are given frequent opportunities to rehearse ideas orally before writing, using the "Think it – Say it – Write it" teaching sequence.
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Structured Talk: Lessons incorporate planned activities for structured discussion, debates, presentations, and drama to encourage thinking and listening deeply.
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Vocabulary: The teaching of Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary is prioritised in every subject, with pupils consistently encouraged to use this precise language when speaking.
Celebrating Oracy: The Coronation Cup
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High-Stakes Challenge: The school runs the annual 'Coronation Cup', an Oracy Challenge competition designed to build self-confidence, public speaking skills, and the ability to articulate views clearly in a formal setting.
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Public Speaking: Opportunities for public speaking are provided through class presentations, school assemblies, and dramatic performances to build self-confidence and projection.
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Debate and Discussion: Pupils are encouraged to engage in structured discussions and debates about topical or curriculum-related issues, helping them to articulate their views respectfully and understand alternative perspectives.
Non-negotiables/expectations for staff and pupils
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Full Sentences: Children are expected to speak in full sentences using accurate, subject-specific vocabulary.
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Active Listening: Pupils must demonstrate active listening skills (e.g., eye contact, thoughtful response) during all whole-class and group discussions.
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Role Modelling: All staff will consistently model confident, clear, and articulate speech and provide a high-quality language environment.