At Whetley Academy we prioritise oracy as a powerful tool for elevating learning by teaching our pupils how ‘to talk’ and ‘through talk’.

This means: –

The ability to communicate effectively is essential in preparing children to live happy and successful  lives into adulthood, and we uphold our trust promise of enabling pupils ‘to become active members of society with the skills, confidence, knowledge and experience to actively engage in social debate and discussion.’  We teach our pupils to be creative and critical thinkers with the ability to express their feelings and ideas eloquently whilst listening respectfully and compassionately to the opinions of others, changing their minds when necessary.

We are currently in partnership with the national charity for Oracy, Voice 21, as part of a trust wide project. In collaboration with Voice 21, we deliver ongoing professional training to every practitioner to ensure they are equipped with the subject knowledge, skills and expertise to provide a high-quality oracy education for every single pupil in our Academy. Any learning gaps in a pupil’s oracy proficiency are addressed swiftly to prevent both academic and social disadvantage.

At Whetley Academy we use VotesforSchools which provides effective delivery of SMSC, British Values and Prevent, and supports PSHE and RE. VotesforSchools provides children with challenging current issues and allows them to discuss these within their classes and place their votes. This drives student engagement and gives each child a voice which is valued and respected.