Oracy
Dane Royd SPEAKERS
Imagine, Create, Share
Welcome to our writing page!
I am Mrs Greenwood and I am the Writing Leader in school.
I have always enjoyed writing as it is an outlet of creativity for me. I studied English Literature and Creative Writing at University and I am very passionate about the benefits writing can have for young people. I love teaching Writing at Dane Royd and hope to instil in our students a love for this subject.
Mrs Greenwood
Writing Lead
Intent - Why is Oracy important for our children?
At Dane Royd Junior and Infant School, we believe spoken language to be central to the achievement and academic progress of our pupils. By teaching students to become more effective speakers and listeners we empower them to better understand themselves, each other and the world around them. Oracy is central to learning and spoken language skills are one of the strongest predictors of a child’s future life chances. Therefore, we intend to provide our children with many opportunities to develop and apply their speaking and listening skills across the curriculum.
We aim to develop and encourage competent speakers, who can confidently articulate their ideas in a wide range of situations but can also recognise the value of listening to others.
Implement - How will our children learn?
For pupils of all ages to use spoken language successfully, they need to make progress in interrelated aspects of language:
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Physical (vocal control and body language, such as making eye contact and speaking loudly and clearly)
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Linguistic (knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical constructions, and use of rhetorical devices)
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Cognitive (knowledge of content, organisation of ideas, and tailoring talk to a specific purpose, such as to persuade or inform)
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Social and Emotional (ability to collaborate through conversation)
Follow the link below to the Oracy Progression Map for children at Dane Royd Junior and Infant School. This outlines the skills, for each of the interrelated aspects of language, that will be taught to children in each year group. Across the curriculum, there will be opportunities for children to develop the physical, linguistic, cognitive and social and emotional skills of oracy.
We develop children’s speaking and listening skills across the curriculum through:
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Talk partners
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Paired/group work
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Immersing EYFS children in rhymes and songs
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Listening and responding to well-chosen stories
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Reading aloud
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Reading lessons
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Composing sentences orally in preparation for writing
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Character hot seating
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Comparing problem solving methods
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Explaining reasoning strategies
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Children contributing to class assemblies
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Engaging with visiting speakers
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Presentations of learning
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Drama
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Christmas Performances
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Discussion and debate
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Junior Leadership Groups
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School Council
We want to provide a range of opportunities and experiences intended to develop the children’s speaking and listening skills and leave them with wonderful memories of their time at our school. To celebrate National Poetry Day in October 2026, the children enjoyed an assembly led by Conrad Burdekin, who is a unique and enthusiastic writer, storyteller and poet from Yorkshire. Years 1 to 6 then spent time working with Conrad in workshops where they wrote and performed class poems. The children had a fantastic day and loved the experience where they were able to practise and develop physical speaking and listening skills in particular.
Impact - What is achieved through our oracy curriculum?
Our Oracy curriculum ensures that children leave with all the key knowledge and skills outlined in the National Curriculum for speaking and listening. Children leave Dane Royd having had many interesting opportunities and experiences linked to developing their speaking and listening skills. Our pupils have a voice and opinions but also the ability to listen to and respect the opinions of others- values which are integral to being a part of the Dane Royd Community.
‘I liked making everyone laugh, whilst I acted in the role of Bottom the donkey.’
Noah, Year 4
‘It was really fun because everyone got involved.’
Mason, Year 6
‘It was very fun! We all laughed a lot!”
Savannah, Year 4
‘I liked it because it was really fun and made me understand the play more.’
Lily, Year 6
‘I liked acting out the play. I was one of the mechanics.’ Max, Year 2
‘I thought it was a great way for us to express what we thought the characters were like.’
Poppy, Year 5
‘I really loved acting out the Shakespeare play. I got to play the role of Helena.’
Mabel, Year 3
