Being a Voice 21 Oracy School

Unity Community Primary is a Voice 21 Oracy School!             

At Unity, we believe that every child deserves a voice that is heard, respected, and empowered. That is why we are proud to be a Voice 21 Oracy School, committed to developing oracy (speaking and listening) skills through high-quality education, so our children are able to use their ‘Unity loud and clear voice’.

Voice 21 is the national charity that advocates for and supports schools in delivering a high-quality oracy education. In becoming a Voice 21 Oracy School, we are joining a network of over 1,100 schools across the UK that are transforming teaching and learning through talk.

Why oracy matters?

Oracy is articulating ideas, developing understanding and engaging with others through speaking, listening and communication.

We actively invest time into creating “talk-rich” classrooms, valuing every student voice, boosting confidence, and preparing our students for their futures.

• Speaking and listening skills are critical foundations for reading and writing.
• Students with better oral language skills are more likely to achieve the highest grades in GCSE Maths and English.
• Young people with good communication skills are less likely to have mental health difficulties.

Why are we a Voice 21 Oracy School?

As a Voice 21 Oracy School, we are placing oracy at the heart of our teaching and learning, enabling students to develop and deepen their knowledge through talk in the classroom.

In Voice 21 Oracy Schools:

• 89% of students agree/strongly agree that speaking and listening has helped them make progress with their school work.
• 77% of teachers said that oracy had boosted attainment.
• 96% of teachers said that oracy is an essential part of teaching and learning.

We use Voice 21’s Oracy Framework to guide our teaching, focusing on four key strands:

As a diverse community school with pupils speaking over 38 different languages, we are dedicated to empowering children to become confident speakers and listeners. An Oracy education will support our school ethos and Big Life School values by advocating and celebrating every child’s voice:

Courage- Our oracy mantra is that our children are Loud, Proud and Clear.

Valuing difference- Oracy allows each individual child to be celebrated for who they are.

Creative- Oracy gives our children the tools to express themselves.

Honest- Oracy allows children to confidently voice their true feelings and thoughts.

Inspiring- Oracy enables our children to shine and share their voices proudly through words and actions.

Thoughtful- Oracy teaches our children the understanding to be respectful with how they talk, listen and communicate.

You can read about the success and impacts of oracy at our sister school and fellow Big Life School, Longsight Community Primary School, which recently became an Oracy Centre of Excellence:

Voice 21 Longsight Community Impact Report