Intent

Oracy is prioritised in all areas curriculum in order to build vocabulary for all learners and increase understanding of trickier texts used across our curriculum.  We believe for children to be confident successful readers and writers they must be able to communicate effectively with each other and in the wider community.

We know that discussion and  questioning increase understanding and support children to develop the tools they need in order to be successful in their writing. Our aim is for all learners to achieve their full potential in reading and writing and we are committed to providing  both the scaffolds and challenge needed in order for our children to achieve this.

Pupils are taught to speak in sentences in EYFS and develop their early communication skills through paired conversations, group discussions and by learning to ask and answer questions, progressing on to using talk partners. 

Pupils in main school use talk partners, share ideas with their class, speak in school assembly, adults model and promote communication skills and we use 'Active Listening' and 'Skilled Speaking' to support this in our classrooms. Pupils at Primrose Hill have regular opportunities to speak to an audience, perform stories, play and poetry, or debate with their peers.

 Owlcotes Elements

Confidence to Perform

During their time at Primrose Hill pupils will have opportunities to develop their oracy skills through a range of events such as : Nativity performance and Christmas singalongs for our youngest children,  Y2, Y4 and Y6 children take part  in a Christmas performance where they perform to parents and the wider school community.    Y3 children contribute to an Owlcotes Big Sing with other schools in our Multi Academy Trust.  In Y4 our pupils take part in a Pudsey Primaries Big Sing and perform with the Northern Arts Factory. Our Y5 children take part in the Shakespeare Schools Festival which requires them to rehearse and perform at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford.  Our Y6 children perform in an annual end of year production for parents and selected members of the wider community.

TALK ON

We believe talking is a vital part of a child's development so each week we focus children and families on a topic to stimulate talk and discussion between home and school. We inform parents to the 'TALK ON' through the school newsletter and via the online journal Tapestry for families of children in EYFS.  Our weekly TALK ON subjects fit in with school topics enabling us to cover aspects of the curriculum, themes, national and international events supporting children on their journey towards active citizenship.

Our TALK On plan fits in with whole school assembly themes and examples include:

In what ways do people communicate other than talking? If you have difficulties communicating how could this affect your daily life?

What does Science do for us? What are scientists like?

What is a refugee ? How can we support refugees?

In EYFS the Talk On theme links to the whole school theme, whilst also taking into account the personal, social and emotional development curriculum expectations in EYFS.

Our weekly TALK ONs are displayed and discussed in every classroom see below for an example.