In June, members fed into the Oracy All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Speak for Change Inquiry (you can read our submission here).
Today they released an interim report which highlights:
Oracy improves children and young people’s cognitive development and academic attainment, their wellbeing, and life chances by enabling them to develop the spoken language skills necessary to thrive in further education, training and employment.
Over half of teachers surveyed said their schools do not have a consistent approach to oracy development among pupils.
92% of teachers think school closure during lockdown have contributed to a widening of the 'word gap' (Oxford University Press/ CFEY) and Ofsted recently raised concerns that children hit hardest are “regressing in basic skills and learning”, including language, communication and oral fluency.
The evidence regarding the impact oracy has on attainment is compelling - the Education Endowment Foundation has shown that trials of oral language interventions have enabled students to make an average of five months additional progress over a year.
A greater focus on continued language development is proven to support particularly the most disadvantaged students to catch-up.
From the evidence it is clear that spoken language should have a higher status and value within our education system and better support is needed for teachers with training, alongside the development of common standards and shared expectations across schools.
If you were unable to input into the Inquiry in June but would still like to, you can by submitting written or video evidence. If you would like to get involved or download the report please visit www.oracyappg.org.uk or contact inquiry@oracyappg.org.uk.