Oracy October

Resource type: Event

Price band: Free

Key stage: KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4, KS5

Region(s): All of UK

Oracy October is a month-long celebration of the importance of oracy education. Set up by Voice 21, it provides access to events and oracy resources to help pupils become more effective speakers and listeners. The theme for this year’s Oracy October is ‘When Talk Gets Challenging’.

Whether it’s discussing a sensitive topic in class, talking about feelings or speaking in front of an audience, help pupils build their confidence and prepare them for success by giving them the tools they need to navigate challenging contexts for talk. Resources to support Oracy October include:

Resource packs with ideas and activities for primary and secondary students.
Five challenges for students to complete over the course of Oracy October.
Seven free CPD webinars for teachers looking at key oracy-related issues and exploring practical strategies to implement an effective oracy curriculum.

Cost: Free with registration

About Voice 21: Oracy October was set up by Voice 21, the UK’s oracy education charity. Voice 21 is dedicated to transforming the learning and life chances of young people through talk. The charity provides training and resources to empower schools to provide a high-quality oracy education that will enable their students to use their voice for success in school and life.

Further resources:

Sign up for The Great Oracy Exhibition on 10th October in Manchester. With over 20 sessions and workshops, The Great Oracy Exhibition is the UK’s largest oracy festival and provides the opportunity to learn from from oracy experts, fellow teachers and academics.
Read the recently published Voicing Vocabulary report examining how purposeful classroom talk can be harnessed to support vocabulary learning, improve reading attainment and build pupil confidence and participation in class.
Access comprehensive training and support to help your school embed oracy in your teaching practices across the curriculum by signing up to become a Voice 21 Oracy School.
Find out more about what a high-quality oracy education looks like by downloading The Oracy Benchmarks report.
Download free resources to help improve the quality and quantity of pupil talk in primary and secondary classrooms from Oracy Cambridge.
Help pupils develop and perfect their oracy skills by taking part in this year’s Poetry by Heart Competition, a poetry speaking competition for pupils in KS2 – KS5 in England.
Topical Talk is a year-round programme of free resources from the Economist Education Foundation designed to help students aged 9-14 develop critical thinking and communication skills through discussion about current affairs.