🗣️ Oracy Speaks: The Silent Power in Education’s Next Chapter

In the government’s latest national curriculum reform for 2028, one line quietly stands out:

"The government will publish a new oracy framework to ensure more young people become confident and effective speakers." GOV.UK

It’s a statement that signals a seismic shift: we’re no longer just teaching knowledge. We’re teaching voice.
We’re no longer just teaching content. We’re teaching confidence.

Why Oracy Matters -- and Why Now

For too long, the conversation around curriculum has focused on content, outcomes, and data. But behind every statistic lies a story -- and most of those stories involve young people who can think clearly, but struggle to say anything at all.

Oracy is more than speaking well. It’s about:

• Believing your voice belongs.

• Being heard and knowing you’ve been understood.

• Having the courage to question, challenge, and shape your world.

• Communicating ideas, building relationships and influencing change.

In a future where AI, data science, ethical thinking and global citizenship are "the new literacy," oracy becomes a foundational skill — not just for reading or writing, but for acting, leading and belonging.

Four Action Steps for Your School Now

Whether you’re teaching Year 5, leading across a multi‑academy trust, designing EdTech or shaping your school culture — you can begin today. Here’s how:

1. Build 'Voice time' into every lesson.
   Ask: Who hasn’t spoken today? Who is still thinking? Rotate talk‑time so every student steps into conversation, not just the confident few.

2. Measure oracy, not just spoken words.
   Use questions like: Did the student respond to a peer? Did they adapt their language when the audience changed? Progress isn’t perfect grammar — it’s participation and belonging.

3. Design meaningful purposes for talk.
   Move from "one student reads their answer" to "pairs build an argument for climate policy" or "students pitch a solution to fake‑news in 2030." Oracy is best learnt when the voice has a mission.

4. Model courage and curiosity as a leader.
   Invite staff and leaders to record their own 'voice story': a time they were unsure but spoke anyway. Use this to build a culture where voice is valued, not silenced.

A Gifted Year 8 Student Whispers, "I don’t feel smart enough."

This is the real truth the new curriculum aims to address: it’s not about what’s missing in pupils, but what’s missing in us, in our practice — the space for voice, for authenticity, for students to say "I matter."

Oracy is the unseen pillar in the curriculum reform. It underpins belonging, engagement and long‑term achievement.
Because when young people find their voice, education lets them lead their future — not just survive it.

Ready to Collaborate?

At Lab to Ed Leadership, we’re building a network of educators, leaders, innovators and thinkers working together to bring this to life.
Let’s design schools where voice is as valued as grades, influence matters more than permission, and every student knows:

I belong. I can contribute. I will lead.

🖊️ Join the conversation. Connect. Co‑design. Make oracy accessible for every learner.
Join the Network → Lab to Ed Leadership