Oracy at Hanover

At Hanover, talk is central to how we learn. We believe that oracy — learning to talk and learning through talk — is essential for children to become confident communicators, active learners, and thoughtful participants in their communities. In every lesson, across all subjects, children are supported to express their ideas clearly, listen actively, and engage in purposeful dialogue.

We have completed our first year as a Voice 21 Oracy School, and oracy is now embedded in teaching and learning across the curriculum. Children are supported to develop their thinking and vocabulary through daily talk tasks and a range of targeted strategies designed to promote high-quality discussion and language acquisition. These include:

• Sentence stems to help structure ideas and arguments clearly

• Speaking in full sentences to develop vocabulary and embed the habit of clear explanation

• Carefully designed talk-based activities, such as role-play, debates, paired and group discussions, and structured oral rehearsal

• Opportunities to explain, justify, and question, using subject-specific vocabulary, including in areas such as science, maths, and history

                       

  
  

Children also learn to use Talk Tactics —  tools that support independent, high-quality discussion. These include ways to build on someone’s idea, challenge respectfully, clarify understanding and summarise thinking. These strategies help all pupils take ownership of their conversations and develop the confidence to engage in collaborative, critical dialogue.

Our classrooms use consistent discussion guidelines and talk protocols, helping all children to build the confidence to speak, listen and respond with purpose. At Hanover, we believe talk is not just preparation for learning — it is learning.