The Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in England, chaired by
@RealGeoffBarton
Providing a blueprint for a national entitlement to oracy education.
Our new independent commission examining the vital skills of speaking & listening is launching today. Chaired by
@RealGeoffBarton
we will provide a blueprint for a national entitlement for oracy education at all stages of statutory education in England
We're creating a library of conversations and debates designed to illuminate what oracy is and why it matters so much. Listen to
@RealGeoffBarton
's talking to
@Counsell_C
in the first Commission Conversation wherever you get your podcasts
Recap: in the first ten weeks of our Commission on Oracy, what are some key emerging themes? Listen to
@RealGeoffBarton
count them down - including: teacher training & CPD, global insights, inclusion, and the need to reform GCSE English Language
In today's 'Commission Conversation'
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to Prof. Neil Mercer
@OracyCambridge
about talk for learning, disciplinary approaches to oracy and whether we should assess oracy 👀
Thanks to members of the Oracy Commission who met again today as we move towards the end of our work. This builds on last week’s roundtable on the arts and oracy. Next: the tricky question of formally assessing oracy. Watch this space.
What is the role of oracy in the subject English? And why is it vital that we value children's exisiting talk repertoires?
@RealGeoffBarton
speaks to
@BarbaraBleiman
in this latest Commission Conversation
Today
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to
@ricketts_lara
about the link between oracy and reading, the importance of vocabulary knowledge and tailoring approaches to developing oracy and reading to different Key Stages
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to
@PieCorbett
about talk for writing, the importance of storytelling at every phase and how creative subjects can help you understand yourself and the world around you better
The next Commission Conversation is live. Hear
@RealGeoffBarton
speak to
@RobDrummond
about challenging accentism and a deficit model of language, his work
@VoicesMcr
and what an understanding of sociolinguistics can bring to the Commission.
Douglas Barnes was a pioneer of oracy education, determined that it should underpin learning across the curriculum rather than be compartmentalised as a separate ‘thing’: a fascinating account of his work by
@knight_rupert
@UniofNottingham
:
“Teachers do a great job in promoting oracy education where they can, but until it is treated with the same importance as literacy and numeracy, it will continue to lose out in crowded timetables and stretched budgets” says
@ocrexams
’ CEO Jill Duffy:
We want to hear from you!
We want to hear as many perspectives as possible to feed into Commission meetings. If you have ideas, research or examples of best practice, submit your thoughts to the Call for Evidence:
Tonight
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to Deborah Cameron
@wordspinster
about why there is a recurring, problematic narrative about oracy in education and the trouble with trying to articulate standards for spoken language
In this evening's Commission Conversation,
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to
@MichaelRosenYes
about...talk, including his own family history, how children talk about books and the way teachers use talk in the classroom
This eve
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to
@ian_cushing
about the defecit foundations of oracy education, as well as wider research he has conducted on the listening practices of
@Ofstednews
In this 'Commission Conversation'
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to Prof. Robin Alexander about dialogic teaching and how classroom talk can enhance learning across the curriculum
Today
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to
@lisa_stephenso
about drama pedagogy and the power of stories as a way into the curriculum and storytelling as a means to draw on children's linguistic strengths and cultural heritage
Our next Commission Conversation is live. Hear from commissioner
@_sallyjan
who discusses the impact of oracy education across
@Cabotfederation
with
@RealGeoffBarton
ahead of the first meeting of the Commission on Monday
"It has never been more important for children to be able to understand the power of their authentic voice; I am delighted to be a part of this vital piece of work to ensure that as educators we provide the conditions for all children to realise this."
Commissioner
@_sallyjan
In today's Commission Conversation,
@jeffreykboakye
talks about why oracy matters, how it shapes our interactions with people and institutions and how an understanding of oracy can help educators interrogate the unspoken 'rules' of language
In our latest Commision Conversation,
@RealGeoffBarton
speaks with
@lreeves_louisa
about early language, the teacher's role in a child's language development and ensuring that oracy education is inclusive of all children
Recap: Our latest
@OracyCommission
conversation is with
@kirsten_howells
of
@stammer
: . At the heart of it is the voice of children for whom an emphasis on ‘fluency’ is simply devastating.
Watch Sam's poem "I Have a Stammer" here:
The next in our series of Commission Conversations is live. Hear from Stephen Coleman
@LeedsUniMedia
about the role of oracy education in how young people engage and participate in the democratic process
@RealGeoffBarton
Catch up on this ‘Commission Conversation’ between
@realgeoffbarton
and
@rapclassroom
about dialogic & knowledge-rich classrooms, teaching as an intellectual pursuit and the impact of prevent on classroom dialogue
The importance of oracy in the curriculum has been highlighted by today's
@YouGov
polling, which shows that over 80% of business leaders and parents support more time being spent on the development of young people’s spoken language and listening skills at school.
Next up in our 'Commission Conversations'
@RealGeoffBarton
speaks to
@Trivium21c
about bringing healthy and interesting debate into the curriculum and supporting students to explore different people's perspectives through talk
In our latest 'Commission Conversation'
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to
@DrArleneHH
about what the ancient world can teach us about oracy, why more young people should study rhetoric and the myths about oracy we should be challenging
In today's Commission Conversation,
@RealGeoffBarton
catches up with Commissioner Justine Andrew from
@kpmguk
about why oracy is vital to the workplace and how Covid has affected young people's transitions into the world of work
Recap: as we explore the history and implications of oracy in education, our most recent Commission Conversations have featured
@PieCorbett
@wordspinster
@WFarahslt
and
@ian_cushing
. Two are more coming this week …
Today the Oracy Commission focuses on why the arts are so important to young people’s oracy skills & sense of identity. We’re meeting at the
@NationalTheatre
. Recap: our latest podcast is with
@leighwol
on youth theatre:
Before our first meeting tomorrow hear from commissioner
@son1bun
about about developing oracy
@StMattsCofE
, inlcuding what an oracy entitlement for all children beyond the Early Years looks like and what she hopes the commission will achieve
“Inclusive by design: Labour's plans for oracy education must be implemented with widespread communication needs as a starting-point,” say
@lreeves_louisa
and Caroline Wright
Today
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to
@EstherOConnor5
about oracy in the early years, including the role of the adult, high-quality interactions and modelling
Today hear from
@SnellJulia
who talks to
@RealGeoffBarton
about expectations for classroom talk, including the problem with blanket expectations for students to speak in standardised forms of English and the importance of dialogic pedagogy
🎏🎉 Announcement: Festival of Education 2024 Strands Revealed! 🎏🎉
We are thrilled to share with you some of the diverse and dynamic strands that will feature at this year’s Festival of Education Wellington College.
With 25 strands now announced and more announcements to be
"
@Place2Be
had a theme of ‘My Voice Matters’ for Children’s Mental Health Week this year because we know that not having a voice, not being heard, is relationally damaging for our mental health...
Commissioner
@TangoSas
Listen up! In today's Commission Conversation
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to
@kirsten_howells
about how we can ensure a focus on oracy in schools is inclusive of children who stammer, including why we shouldn't conflate 'fluency' and good spoken communication
"The greater our understanding of the role of spoken language in a fair and just society, the better able we are to not only equip young people with the insights and tools required to succeed...
Commissioner
@RobDrummond
In our next 'Commission Conversation'
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to curriculum and asssessment expert Tim Oates about oracy in the NC, what the
@oracycommission
can learn from other countries and why we should be wary of assessing oracy
Start the week with this 'Commission Conversation' between
@RealGeoffBarton
and
@WFarahslt
about racial and cultural bias in speech and language therapy and why its so important to teach young people about standard language ideologies
For something I'm writing, I once again sought out this seminal statement from The Bullock Report (1975). I don't think I've ever heard a better explication of the nature of exploratory talk, why it's important, what it looks like and the conditions needed for it to work well.
Recap: in our latest
@OracyCommission
conversation, speech & language therapist and lecturer
@WFarahslt
says we need to go back to the drawing board with the training of speech therapists in order to challenge some of the reductive underlying ideologies:
"One of the first things that headteachers comment on after adopting the Opening Worlds curriculum, is that pupils cannot stop talking...
Commissioner
@Counsell_C
"For me, this Commission is timely. In a world where the ability to talk with confidence and to be accountable for what we say; this opportunity to shape the direction of children and young people's oracy education cannot be underestimated."
Commissioner
@son1bun
Recap: Next week our commission on oracy in education will explore the role of the arts in promoting the skills of speaking & listening. It’s a central topic here in our latest Commission Conversation …
The view from the garden: I hope I’m modelling the concept of ‘multitasking’ by reading Robin Alexander’s brilliant book about oracy whilst Molly B basks on my legs in the sunshine. Carry on.
In this ‘Commission Conversation’
@realgeoffbarton
talks to
@SjvAllen
about how oracy relates to different aspects of literacy with a focus on early reading
Only 7⃣ days left to submit evidence to
@oracycommission
. We're looking for submissions on research and practice on a number of themes. As you'd expect from a Commission on oracy, you can submit evidence orally or in writing. More info here:
In today's 'Commission Conversation'
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to
@knight_rupert
about oracy and the initial teacher education landscape, teacher agency and what it takes to embed oracy education across a school
Some more of those
@YouGov
findings from today's polling:
69% of business leaders and 63% parents believe increased access to technology has a negative impact on children and young people’s speaking and listening skills
"A consensus is building around the importance of speaking skills ...": am just catching up on the
@Guardian
's positive but nuanced view on the need for curriculum/assessment reform:
#oracy
@OracyCommission
“In my research, I found that 9-year-olds used dialect forms alongside standardised alternatives, deciding when one or the other was most relevant. Their language choices were largely unconscious, but were purposeful and meaningful,” says
@SnellJulia
:
'The whole structure of the two GCSE English subjects needs a re-think - and speaking and listening needs to play a significant part'
🗣️
@BarbaraBleiman
📻Tune in to
@TimesRadio
this morning at 11.20 to hear
@RealGeoffBarton
talking about oracy, the new Labour government and the work of the Commission. Listen here 👇
As it's GCSE results week, we're revisiting some of our 'Commission Conversations' with subject experts. First up is
@BarbaraBleiman
on oracy in English
Listen in this conversation with
@realgeoffbarton
and
@leighwol
about oracy and the arts, the classroom as a ‘studio’ and bringing language to life through expressive arts
Hear from
@realgeoffbarton
and
@RethinkingJames
in this ‘Commission Conversation’ about oracy as a curricular object, building students’ linguistic repertoires and making change stick
... A great curriculum has many benefits, but a key one should be giving pupils something to say, desire to say it and practice in doing so, whether as disciplined argument or compelling narrative...
Today
@realgeoffbarton
talks to
@olidebotton
about why oracy matters, the dialogic classroom and the importance of talk at the transition from school to college.
Listen to Sarah Houghton
@TangoSas
from
@Place2Be
discussing all things oracy and mental health with
@RealGeoffBarton
earlier this week wherever you get your podcasts
When it comes to
#oracy
, what's the status of standard English in classrooms? Here's
@ProfArleneHH
's
@SchoolsWeek
account of people disagreeing agreeably:
"Through the
@NationalTheatre
's work with schools, over the last decade we've observed a steep decline in the teaching of creative and practical skills, like speaking, listening, creativity, experimentation...
Commissioner
#RufusNorris
"At the birth of British democracy, back in the 19thC, grassroots oracy education played a key role - the struggle for articulacy underpinned the struggle for the vote": my conversation on behalf of
@OracyCommission
with Tom F Wright of
@SpeakingCitz
We have deleted a tweet about one of our Commission Conversations because offence had unintentionally been caused. The speaker has clarified their comments but we have decided to remove the post to avoid any further upset.
In today's 'Commission Conversation'
@RealGeoffBarton
talks to
@daisychristo
about the challenges with traditional assessment and whether comparative judgement can be used to assess oracy
If you are a podcast listener, whether for washing up, dog walking, commuting or relaxing in the bath - you really need to give the Oracy Commission Podcast a listen. Great guests and conversations. Beautifully hosted by
@RealGeoffBarton
. I'm loving it.
🗣️Great to hear speech and language therapist Melanie Cross talking to Oracy Commission Chair
@RealGeoffBarton
about the links between communication and social, emotional and mental health.
🎧Highly recommend a listen if you've got 20 mins
Thanks to everyone who's taking an interest in the
@OracyCommission
. Our audio library so far is here: . But (in the words of The Carpenters) 'We've Only Just Begun' (sorry, ever the failed DJ), with many more conversations to follow
56% of business leaders state that these skills are more important for staff in their business now than five years ago and 64% believe that these skills will be more important in five years time
We're looking to build and explore the evidence base around the social, educational and economic impacts of oracy. Our call for evidence is open until May 15th - find out more and submit your evidence here
Am doing tutorials with our MA students. Wonderful work from teachers (ie our students), doing projects/investigations into how children respond to books: recording their talk, analysing the children's comments and writing.
@oracycommission
@GoldUnivMACL
... Counter to that, the ability to represent ourselves through expression, to speak in a way that can be heard and, importantly, really listening to how others are expressing themselves, is such a key part of mentally healthy communities...
... further exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic on young people. The National Theatre's Speak Up programme now running in 55 secondary schools across England responded to this need...
"The past decade has shown a denigration of the arts and creative tuition in schools": here's Rufus Norris, Artistic Director of
@NationalTheatre
, plus a commissioner
@oracycommission
, saying why oracy matters and his hopes for what we might achieve:
We have been set up in response to the growing recognition of the importance of spoken language to children’s learning & life chances & increasing evidence & concern as to the impact of the inconsistency, quality and accessibility of oracy education in schools across England
Next up on 'The Commission Conversations' - hear from comissioner Rufus Norris, CEO and Artistic Director of the National Theatre about the "denigration of arts and creative tuition in schools" and what he hopes will change
Our launch comes as we approach the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Bullock Report - A Language For Life. In 1975, this landmark report asserted the pressing need to take speaking & listening seriously and to give oral language the status it deserved in education.