Research School Network: Exploring the intersection of oracy, diversity and disadvantage Research School Associate Fahim Rahman uses his own experience to reflect on the impact of pupil premium strategies

Recently, Durrington High School hosted two INSET days focused on how we can improve outcomes for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. As I sat, inspired by the emotive and powerful sentiments being shared, I found myself reflecting on how such an approach would have impacted my own learning. I wondered how it might have helped me — not only as a disadvantaged student, but also as one from an ethnic minority.

Students in receipt of pupil premium (PP) funding and those from ethnic minority backgrounds often face overlapping challenges that impact their educational experiences and outcomes. However, disadvantaged students and ethnic minority background students are not identical and shouldn’t be treated as such. Nor should we have any preconceptions of their capabilities just because of shared experiences they may have.

For example, a 2024 report from the Education Policy Institute compared the attainment of white British pupils against students from other ethnic backgrounds from early years to post-16 education. By the end of secondary school, most minority ethnic background students achieved higher GCSE grades than white British pupils in 2023. Additionally, when considering the challenges disadvantaged students may face in accessing higher education, recent figures show this may not apply to ethnic minority students. In 2023, the percentage of students from Asian, Black, mixed, and ​‘other’ ethnic backgrounds entering further education increased from 19.1% to 26.3%. The number of white students declined from 3.1 million to 1.9 million.

While the challenges may differ, there are key areas where the needs of both disadvantaged and ethnic minority students intersect — and reflecting on the factors that impact one group can help us better support the other. Oracy is a prime example of this.

In the 23/24 academic year, Department for Education data showed that 18.4 per cent of children and young people in England had special educational needs (SEND). The most common type of need overall is speech, language and communication and was the primary need for almost 370,000 children.

Some disadvantaged and ethnic minority students can face similar barriers related to oracy development, including:

- Limited vocabulary exposure at home.
- Fewer opportunities to develop communication skills.
- Less confidence in expressing themselves in formal settings.
- Potential language barriers (especially for EAL students).

Hart and Risley’s (1995) ​“30 Million Word Gap” study revealed that by the age of 4, children from low-income families had heard 30 million fewer words than their more advantaged peers. While parts of the study have since been contested, the core finding remains valid: socioeconomic background affects vocabulary acquisition and, by extension, academic outcomes.

Students from ethnic minority backgrounds may not only experience a similar vocabulary gap, but their primary discourse at home could be in a language that differs from the one used in academic and professional environments. The Bell Foundation (2020) further highlights that while EAL students may develop conversational fluency in 2 – 3 years, achieving academic language proficiency (language they may use within subject disciplines) can take 5 – 7 years.

Structured talk is a powerful strategy that can help address these challenges by exposing students to subject-specific vocabulary and encouraging them to apply it in discussions. This approach benefits both disadvantaged and ethnic minority students by:

- Building vocabulary and comprehension: Engaging in structured talk helps students gain confidence in using academic language, improving their literacy and comprehension.
- Creating safe spaces for expression: Structured discussions provide a low-stakes environment where students can practice verbal expression without fear of judgment.
- Addressing cultural differences in communication: Many ethnic minority students, particularly EAL learners, may follow communication norms from their native languages that differ from those in British culture.

To speak to this last point, as a British Bangladeshi, I often find myself reminding my mother that her direct way of speaking in English can sometimes be perceived as rude. This is because Bengali — like many other languages — is inherently more direct and less laden with politeness markers compared to British English. If ethnic minority or EAL students from a similar background to mine apply these cultural norms to their spoken English, they may be reprimanded for what they perceive as normal interaction. Structured talk, which includes summarising a peer’s point or asking clarifying questions, helps develop active listening skills and improves emotional intelligence and peer relationships.

Promoting a sense of belonging and inclusion is a core aspect of any successful school culture. Ethnic minority students, particularly those from underrepresented or marginalised backgrounds, may feel isolated or excluded if their voices and perspectives are not valued. Structured talk provides opportunities for all students to share their experiences and perspectives, fostering empathy, understanding, and cultural appreciation.

When schools consider the intersection of socioeconomic disadvantage and ethnic diversity, they move closer to closing the gap and ensuring that every student, regardless of background, can achieve their full potential.