Communication & Language (Oracy)
At our school, we believe that communication and language are the cornerstones of learning, connection, and personal growth. The ability to speak, listen, and respond effectively empowers pupils to think deeply, express ideas confidently, and participate meaningfully in the world around them. As set out in Ofsted’s Schools Inspection Toolkit (2024), the curriculum must “develop pupils’ capacity to use spoken language purposefully and precisely across all subjects,” ensuring that every child can articulate, reason, question, and influence with confidence and respect.
Our Communication and Language Progression sets out a clear and ambitious framework for developing oracy from Nursery to Year 6. It reflects the understanding - drawn from Strong Foundations in the First Years of School (2024) - that language is the bedrock of learning and that children who can think and talk well are better equipped to read, write, and reason effectively. In line with The Writing Framework (DfE, 2024), we recognise that strong talk precedes strong writing: children learn to compose orally before they can communicate effectively in writing.
Our approach is underpinned by Chris Quigley’s Tongue Fu Talking, which teaches pupils to communicate with clarity, confidence, and kindness. This approach explicitly models how to speak with purpose, listen with intent, and respond with respect - skills that reflect and strengthen our school’s DRIVE values:
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Determination
- Pupils persevere in articulating their ideas, even when finding words challenging; they rehearse, refine, and build fluency through purposeful practice.
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Respect
- Pupils learn to listen attentively, value others’ viewpoints, and speak considerately, understanding that language carries power and responsibility.
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Integrity
- Pupils communicate truthfully and thoughtfully, expressing their ideas with honesty and empathy.
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Valour
- Pupils show courage in sharing ideas publicly, performing, debating, and challenging thinking in a safe and supportive environment.
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Excellence
- Pupils strive for precision and sophistication in language, using vocabulary and grammar deliberately to achieve clarity, creativity, and impact.
Together, these principles foster a culture in which every child feels heard, valued, and capable of communicating with confidence and purpose.
The Four Strands of Communication and Language
Our oracy progression is structured around the four strands of Physical, Linguistic, Cognitive, and Social & Emotional development, ensuring a holistic and sequenced approach to talk across all phases of learning.
Physical Strand
The Physical strand focuses on how pupils use their voice and body to communicate meaning. It includes articulation, pace, tone, clarity, expression, and body language. Pupils learn to control their breath, project their voices confidently, and use gesture and eye contact effectively. As they mature, they adapt their delivery to suit different audiences and contexts, demonstrating poise, presence, and vocal control. This strand ensures pupils not only speak but perform their communication with confidence and professionalism.
Linguistic Strand
The Linguistic strand focuses on vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and rhetorical structure - the building blocks of language. Pupils are explicitly taught the language of learning, subject-specific terminology, and increasingly sophisticated ways to connect and develop ideas. Informed by the Writing Framework (DfE, 2024), teachers model high-quality talk, questioning, and sentence construction so that pupils internalise academic language. The result is a community where children can articulate complex thoughts with accuracy and flair, using talk to clarify, persuade, and inspire.
Cognitive Strand
The Cognitive strand develops the thinking behind the talk. Pupils learn to reason, build on others’ ideas, justify their opinions, and structure contributions logically. Talk becomes a vehicle for thought, reflection, and metacognition - helping pupils to plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning. This aligns with Strong Foundations (Ofsted, 2024), which highlights the importance of developing executive function: focus, memory, and adaptability. Our classrooms use structured dialogue, exploratory talk, and oral rehearsal to deepen understanding, strengthen retention, and promote independence in learning.
Social and Emotional Strand
The Social and Emotional strand emphasises empathy, collaboration, and confidence. Pupils learn how to listen actively, respond appropriately, and manage the emotions that accompany public speaking. They practise the art of disagreement with respect and understand that communication is not only about speaking - but about connecting. This strand ensures pupils feel psychologically safe to take risks, contribute ideas, and support their peers - creating the respectful, inclusive culture that our DRIVE values embody.
Our Commitment
Through the explicit teaching of oracy, we commit to ensuring that every pupil - regardless of background, need, or starting point - develops the communication and language skills to thrive academically and socially. Our Communication and Language Progression ensures that these skills are taught systematically, revisited cumulatively, and applied authentically across the curriculum.
By nurturing confident communicators who speak with Determination, listen with Respect, act with Integrity, show Valour, and strive for Excellence, we fulfil our school motto: