Lift Schools launches oracy drive to get children talking

Making a tangible difference in the classroom can be tough. Teachers often feel overwhelmed by the complex interplay of curriculum demands, pedagogical approaches, classroom management, and individual student needs.

But what if there was one core focus that could simultaneously:

• drive up achievement across every subject?

• boost children's wellbeing, both now and in their futures?

• help narrow the disadvantage gap and support students with speech and language? 

  
  

Well, there is - and it’s oracy.

To tackle this theme, we have launched Lift Talks — a year-long initiative across all our schools designed to embed communication into the heart of the curriculum and transform quiet classrooms into buzzing, thriving environments where every child feels empowered to express themselves.

Often misused or oversimplified as a term, at Lift Schools, we understand oracy in line with the Oracy Commission’s definition, that is “articulating ideas, developing understanding and engaging with others through speaking, listening and communication”. Oracy isn't just a tool for deeper learning in the classroom; it's the foundation of strong relationships. These vital communication skills empower young people to effectively make their voices heard, both personally and as active citizens, right now and throughout their adult lives. This is precisely why our pioneering commitment to making oracy a priority across our network of schools is so crucial. 

Lift Talks will raise the profile and importance of talk between staff and pupils, increasing the amount and quality of exploratory classroom talk and providing high quality enrichment opportunities for all pupils to engage in presentational talk.

Case study: Students become teachers for the day at Lift Westerings

Children at Lift Westerings became teachers for the day to boost oracy skills.

Inspired by our focus on presentational talk, Year 6 students at Lift Westerings Primary flipped the classroom to become teachers for the day. Working in small groups, they planned and created their own 15-20 minute lessons based on the Inner Wings PSHE programme. 

These sessions will be delivered to younger classes ranging from EYFS to Year 5. Year 6 pupils will be challenged to adapt their oracy skills and language to suit specific age groups, all while promoting positivity and helping their younger peers ‘find their superpower.’

For us, this is also about equity. Like many education providers, we’re working with record numbers of children with speech, language and communication needs, particularly in early years, and we’re deeply committed to enabling these children to flourish. We are proud to be partnering with Speech and Language UK to conduct rigorous, practical trials of the most effective, evidence-based Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) intervention programmes. Fourteen schools from our network will trial the Talk Boost and Talk for Work intervention programmes over the course of the year.

Alongside this, the Lift Talks initiative will run across all our primary and secondary schools, and will be delivered through four core pillars.

1. Talk every day: Embedding purposeful talk into every lesson through clear oracy expectations and expert teacher facilitation.

2. Speak Up: Presentational talk opportunities for all our students, including national and local events, projects and competitions.

3. Network focus: A focus on oracy and talk across all key network groups and forums to drive collective action towards increasing the volume and quality of both exploratory and presentational talk.

4. Closing the gap: Central investment in speech and language assessments and interventions on a large scale to better support students facing challenges in speech, language and communication.

In December, we launched our second core pillar: Speak Up.

Speak Up is a particularly exciting initiative, offering a series of events and competitions rivalling the very best public speaking opportunities for young people. This programme emphasises speech for the modern era: diverse projects such as ‘Gratitude Voice Notes’ for our youngest learners and a school-based podcast series will blend with more traditional poetry recitals, public speaking and debating competitions at school, regional and national level.

Case study: Shakespeare and podcasting at Lift Ryde

Lift Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, shows the range of initiatives on offer. In Key Stage 3, they’ve launched the English-Speaking Union’s (ESU) Performing Shakespeare project, challenging students to explore complex language and confidence through performance.

Running alongside this, they have introduced a school podcast project, using recording equipment provided to every school in our network. This provides a modern platform for students to refine their speaking, listening, and interviewing skills while broadcasting to a real audience. 

It promises to be an exciting year - let’s get Lift talking!