🧵 “We recommend that the Government introduce an oracy framework to support practice and to complement the existing frameworks for reading and writing.” (Curriculum and Assessment Review, p.79) 🎉 🎉 🎉 It’s an exciting time for oracy in education...

IMPLEMENTING ORACY: INCLUSION, ASSESSMENT, IMPACT - ORACY CAMBRIDGE

Jan to Jun 2026: Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge and online     This six-session professional learning programme is designed for school leaders, oracy leads and classroom teachers who want to imp...

oracycambridge.org

We welcome the government’s plan to introduce a national oracy framework – a major step towards giving spoken language its rightful place in education. We look forward to working with the @departmentforedu.bsky.social to support its careful implementation and bring about lasting change.

📚 BOOK GIVEAWAY! 📚 These books underpin the Implementing Oracy programme, running Jan–Jun 2026 at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge. Find out more 👉 oracycambridge.org/implementing... Entry details below

Children notice the impact of an oracy education.

www.hughes.cam.ac.uk/about/events...

Implementing Oracy: Inclusion, assessment, impact - Hughes Hall

A professional learning programme to embed excellent oracy practice across your school or trust.

hughes.cam.ac.uk

This six-session professional learning programme, to run from Jan-June 2026, is designed for school leaders, oracy leads and classroom teachers who want to implement #oracy with clarity and confidence. To secure your place, click the link below, fill out your details and we’ll be in touch.

www.topsypage.com/blog/2025/9/...

www.topsypage.com/blog/2025/7/...

The Transformative Power of Finding Your Voice – Neil Mercer's new book on Oracy - Topsy Page

Recommended reading for teachers and everyone else too!

topsypage.com

For those of you who have not yet experienced the joy and wonder of Philosophy for Children: I'm running a Level 1 training course in London on Tuesday 30th September & Wednesday 1st October for Thoughtful (SAPERE) - the P4C charity. www.sapere.org.uk/our-courses/... Course ID 8061 #P4C #oracy

Good TES interview with #oracy guru Prof Neil Mercer: ‘In 2023 Sir Keir Starmer pledged that the Labour Party would weave oracy through the curriculum. Yet when the interim report was published, oracy was not mentioned at all. So, is Labour really serious about change?’ www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

Neil Mercer: 'Oracy is still not properly understood'

The Cambridge academic talks about the 'conspiracy theory' of why, despite all the evidence, oracy is yet to be introduced into the curriculum, and whether the Labour government will make the change

tes.com

Brilliant new book out by Neil Mercer. #oracy

www.topsypage.com/blog/2025/5/... #oracy #maths

Talk prompts to help students explain and reason in Maths - Topsy Page

Help students to use the language of Maths

topsypage.com

Should we ask for volunteers in whole-class talk? oracycambridge.org/should-we-as... #oracy

Should we ask for volunteers during whole-class talk? - ORACY CAMBRIDGE

by Topsy Page   Pupil voice about ‘participation systems’ for whole-class talk – how is it decided who speaks, and are the systems effective?  We know that one of the…

oracycambridge.org

11 year-old's response to my question: Does talking help with learning? #oracy

Lovely to see children engaged in the daily thinking question written on the table as part of 'Chat & Play' - how all children start the day at this school. #oracy #P4C

Thinking time is a critical aspect of developing oracy. Love this part of a whole-school 'talk promise' at a school I recently visited. #oracy #thinkingtime

Love these collaborative talk prompts which I saw being used so effectively in a Y6 classroom last week. #oracy

The one, the only, Stephen Fry giving our friends at SAPERE a shout out: they are now called 'Thoughtful' & promote #philosophy in #schools & the community #P4C #philsky #academicsky #philosophymatters youtu.be/ykpkQUpg4Ns

We are Thoughtful

YouTube video by SAPERE

youtu.be

Calling all Early Years practitioners: our Extend P4C- Early Years module is available to book now! The session is online on Tuesday 10th June 16:00-17:30pm. Visit our website to book your place:

sapere.org.uk

We are THOUGHTFUL - the charity for P4C (new name for SAPERE). 4 decades and still going strong #p4c #philosophymatters

Thoughtful@thoughtfulp4c.bsky.social · last yr.

Yesterday was the beginning of British Philosophy Fortnight, and we held an event to make a special announcement, and to celebrate the work going on in our schools - showing people why #PhilosophyMatters and why we all need to be Thoughtful:

This FREE guide to teaching oracy at secondary is excellent. A truly impressive range of researchers, leaders and practitioners with practical, evidence based ways forward. Will share widely! Thankyou SecEd www.sec-ed.co.uk/content/down...

A SecEd best practice guide to teaching oracy in schools - SecEd

This free guide offers ideas, advice and case studies for teaching oracy skills in the secondary school classroom

sec-ed.co.uk

If you only read one @seced.bsky.social article this week: It has to be our free 21-page guide to #oracy #teaching with great contributions from @voice21oracy.bsky.social – Oracy Cambridge – @realgeoffbarton.bsky.social – @amygaunt.bsky.social – @mattbromley.bsky.social & many more buff.ly/DD8CL5j

We've spent the best part of a year exploring assessment in school. We've overhauled our reporting systems, built in moderation processes and undertaken peer observation cycles. The key finding in it all is that great formative assessment depends on good oracy.

My latest blog about participation in classroom talk. I'm thinking a lot about this at the moment. www.topsypage.com/blog/2025/1/...

How can I get everyone to join in? Part 2 - Topsy Page

My top three strategies to make sure every pupil speaks during whole-class learning

topsypage.com

Delighted that the @oracycommission.bsky.social is now on BlueSky. Here’s their thread on the work of the Commision in 2024, and where #oracy education may go in 2025 …

Oracy Education Commission@oracycommission.bsky.social · 2y ago

Last year, lots of us were talking about #oracy. Here’s a quick retrospective: Oracy isn’t new. A useful discussion of what oracy means and why it matters to children’s learning and personal development is here, via our ‘Speaking Volumes’ papers: oracyeducationcommission.co.uk/wp-content/u...

For those interested in P4C, access Lipman's curriculum materials made freely available by the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children at Montclair State University here - digitalcommons.montclair.edu/iapc_curricu...

Dan Raphael compiled this list of key Oracy Commission podcasts for secondary English. Worth a read - and a listen! @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social @robdrummond.bsky.social @snelljulia.bsky.social @barbarableiman.bsky.social @iancushing.bsky.social englishandmedia.co.uk/blog/key-ora...

Key Oracy Commission Podcasts

A summary of podcasts by the Oracy Education Commission of particular interest to secondary English teachers

englishandmedia.co.uk

Congratulations @pynchonic.bsky.social You have won the free copy of my book Oracy: 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers. www.bloomsbury.com/uk/100-ideas... Message me your postal address please!

LAST CHANCE! I'm doing a festive giveaway of my book! Oracy: 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers. Like, follow and retweet to enter. Winners will be selected at random on Friday 3rd January 8pm UK time. bit.ly/100IdeasOrac... @edusky.bsky.social

As @nationaltheatre.org.uk’s Artistic Director Rufus Norris says: “#Oracy should be the fourth ‘R’”: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/12...

Make oracy the fourth ‘R’ of education, theatre boss says

Rufus Norris, the outgoing head of the National Theatre, wants children to learn oral language skills across the curriculum

telegraph.co.uk