The evidence for the benefits of oracy for young people’s learning and life chances
is well established. According to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), oracy
interventions lead to significant improvements in student outcomes.
Oral language interventions are well evidenced to improve pupils’ literacy. High-quality classroom talk also strengthens thinking and communication, helping students build deeper understanding across the curriculum. While all pupils benefit from structured oral language activities, the gains are often greatest for lower-attaining and disadvantaged students.
While the DfE, in its response to the Curriculum and Assessment review, has announced plans for a new oracy framework for primary settings, and an integrated oracy, reading and writing framework for secondary schools, there are actions schools can start taking now to strengthen oral language practices and prepare for the new frameworks.
1. Engage with research evidence to build expertise around oral language approaches
A strong foundation in evidence helps leaders and teachers make informed decisions and anticipate implementation challenges. In respect to oral language, the EEF’s suite of literacy guidance reports and the Teaching and Learning Toolkit’s Oral Language Interventions strand make a great starting point.
The Teaching and Learning Toolkit, for example, provides some starting points for thinking about where schools might look to sharpen oral language practices:
From the Oral Language Interventions strand of the Teaching and Learning Toolkit
And the KS2 Literacy Guidance Report (Recommendation 1) provides several concrete approaches teachers can take to increase the quality of classroom talk:
asking open questions that require explanation, reasoning or argument;
probing with follow-up questions;
building on pupils’ responses;
encouraging pupils to ask their own questions;
ensuring all pupils have genuine opportunities to articulate ideas;
cultivating a classroom culture that values listening; and
weaving dialogue intentionally into lesson planning.
Other guidance reports offer further support, for example:
2. Diagnose pupil needs in relation to oral language
Because oral language underpins so much of literacy, understanding pupils’ reading, writing and vocabulary profiles can help schools focus on where best to intervene. Leaders might ask:
What are pupils’ different reading needs across the school?
Which aspects of writing do pupils find most challenging?
How well are pupils acquiring and using new vocabulary?
How might oral language approaches help to address these identified needs?
In secondary and post-16 settings, these questions should be considered both in terms of general literacy and the subject-specific demands of disciplinary language. Crucially, needs vary considerably between pupils; avoiding assumptions or homogenising groups is essential for targeted, effective support.
3. Understand current practices around oral language in classrooms
Exploring existing practice helps schools see where their strengths lie and where further development may be needed. Questions that can guide this reflection include:
In a typical day or week, how often do pupils engage in meaningful, extended talk?
When talk occurs, are pupils encouraged to develop and extend their responses, for example by being encouraged to reason, explain, hypothesise or evaluate?
Do vocabulary, reading and writing approaches make purposeful use of talk? For example, do pupils use talk to generate ideas for writing, or to make sense of what they’ve read?
Readers familiar with the EEF’s A School’s Guide to Implementation guidance report will recognise these three elements as early – and critical – parts of the Explore phase. Taking time to understand evidence, pupil needs and current practice helps schools avoid investing in approaches unlikely to have impact. Just as importantly, it provides an opportunity to build collective expertise and establish the conditions for sustainable improvement.
Beginning January 2026
Our ‘Improving Oracy in Schools’ programme helps schools strengthen oral language across the curriculum, from talk for learning to vocabulary, reading, and writing. It supports teachers and leaders to translate research into practice through structured reflection, practical tools, and collaborative planning. Click here for further information and to sign up.
