We provide bespoke training and consultancy packages for schools in the UK and internationally. The Oracy Cambridge team has experience and expertise in a range of areas, including:
- Embedding oracy across the curriculum
- Leadership of oracy
- Ancient rhetoric: the language of power
- Assessing oracy
- Developing a culture of exploratory talk
- Teaching listening
- Dialogic teaching and learning
- Supporting children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
- Implementation science: frameworks for effective change
- Conducting talk audits
Broadly speaking, we work with schools on three levels:
- One-off sessions – keynotes, twilights and INSET days
- Mid-level – working with a group of teachers over the course of a year or two – usually middle leaders or oracy leaders
- High level – working with local authorities and multi-academy trusts to implement large-scale strategic reform over a year or more
For more details, drop us a line!
Testimonials
“It was great to have modelling, advice and support from an oracy expert, validating my own judgements. This has impacted on my confidence in leading in this area.”
“An invaluable opportunity to have robust, supportive professional dialogue with other senior leaders. All voices were valued.”
Oracy Leads, Croydon
(following collaborative talk audits facilitated by Oracy Cambridge)
“The day was very well structured and I loved the way that all participants were encouraged to share their thoughts on strengths and areas for development. I also liked the fact that our oracy leads were given the opportunity to construct the report as this really encouraged strong self evaluation and awareness.”
“The sessions facilitated a higher level of dialogue for experienced professionals who already had some knowledge and interest in Oracy. The feedback sessions were expertly managed to ensure all professionals had a voice and that each school felt they had achieved clarity regarding their way forward towards an Oracy rich curriculum. It was so very helpful to observe the way in which you used your skills to extend dialogue in the pupil conferences, ensuring that all children felt fully involved and valued.”
Headteachers, Croydon
(following collaborative talk audits facilitated by Oracy Cambridge)
‘I can’t wait to get back into my classroom tomorrow morning! I’ll be implementing these strategies straight away.’
– Teacher, Hull
‘As a result of the various sessions of oracy training I’ve found that I am slowing the pace of my teaching, giving my students and myself more time to think. The students know that I’m interested in them. And they are asking more questions of me now.’
– Secondary Humanities teacher, Aberdeen
‘The insights you shared during the session have already made a huge difference. I’ve been implementing some of the strategies with my team, and it’s exciting to see the positive impact on student engagement.’
– Deputy Director of Foreign Languages, Kazakhstan
‘I have found that the students who were more dominant during lessons at the start of the year are inviting more participation from quieter students who are also more confident to contribute. Using the talk prompts has really enabled this and helped quieter students to become more involved. Students are also developing their ability to offer meaningful contributions rather than just saying ‘something’ and hoping the discussion will move on.’
– Teacher, Switzerland (speaking about the impact of recently introduced oracy lessons)
‘The oracy training has helped me to pin down aspects of pedagogy I learned about in my initial training. I now examine what I do more deeply, thinking more about how to phrase something with the students.’
– Secondary Oracy Lead, Aberdeenshire
‘The training was eye-opening and motivating. It gives you practical strategies and an approach to improving your own practice.’
– Year 5 teacher
‘I really enjoyed the presenting along with feedback, coupled with excellent teaching of language devices.’
– Year 13 student
‘On behalf of the entire staff, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude for your outstanding keynote address at our recent staff conference. Your presentation on oracy was not only insightful but truly inspiring. The way you highlighted the importance of effective communication and its role in fostering collaboration, understanding, and critical thinking among both staff and students was incredibly valuable. Your expertise and passion for oracy have sparked meaningful conversations and a renewed commitment to developing these vital skills within our school community.’
– Secondary School Head Teacher, SE England
‘Needs to be longer. We should have it over a weekend with multiple teams debating controversial topics with each other.’
– Year 13 student
‘A huge thank you for your session last Thursday. It was spot on. Having spoken to our Heads of Department afterwards, they found it really useful and especially appreciated the evidence-based approach. You tailored your material so well to our context, and this made all the difference. Thank you! I’m excited to develop our school’s approach to oracy.‘
– Secondary Head Teacher, London
‘The focus on oracy that the year-long training and support programme from Oracy Cambridge has made me give a greater intentionality to pedagogy – knowing more about student understanding. It’s been really transformative, opening up possibilities to fresh ideas.’
– Secondary maths teacher, Aberdeenshire.
‘Really thought provoking but also very down the earth and engaging. Thank you so much!!’
– Senior Teacher, Sixth-Form College, Southern England
‘Thank you so much for travelling up and delivering the session for us, it was really well received and feedback has been great.’
– Local Authority CPD organiser, NW England
‘I learnt lots of effective techniques for structuring my speech. I now feel much more confident about presenting to others.’
– Year 13 student
‘Your research papers and keynote speech at the schools conference earlier this year were really helpful for informing our thinking and approach to the development of children and young people’s oracy skills.’
– National charity organiser
‘On behalf of…conference delegates I want to say a big thank you for your presentation last Saturday…Attendees were so motivated that I thought if we were in a room together you may have incited a riot. I am sure it will lead to many new connections being made as well.‘
– National professional association representative
‘The teachers have expressed how much they enjoyed your session: “The oracy talk…was so interesting and enlightening. I have been thinking about it ever since and it has really impacted on my teaching already.”
– University-schools liaison officer, UK
‘I just wanted to say thank you again for yesterday’s lecture. As I think we all agreed multiple times over dinner, it was a great topic for the students to learn more about, and I know they appreciated it from the questions they asked afterwards!’
– University course leader, UK
‘Thank you so much for coming to [our school] and for your fantastic talk. It was pitch perfect and exactly what I wanted the staff to hear. I learned a lot too! It will give us exactly the springboard we need to put oracy at the heart of teaching & learning.’
– Secondary School Head Teacher, London
‘Thank you so much for your speech today. It was really well received and from a personal perspective well enjoyed.’
– Local Authority SEND organiser, North-West England
‘After four years of implementing and developing our work on oracy, supported by Oracy Cambridge:
- Student listening has improved and is respectful because teachers hold that expectation;
- Extended responses by students have improved in quality and quantity;
- Teachers are opening the classroom to talk, becoming less ‘teacher talk’ focussed and more dialogic, with evidence that students are accepting responsibility for engagement;
- Students are talking in pairs, groups, feeding back;
- Presentations of student work are less focussed on written text and more on the delivery of spoken content to visual images;
- The expectation that everyone will engage in classroom talk is active;
- Space and time are given to dialogic practices across the school.’
– School Principal, New South Wales, Australia.