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It’s possible that the interim report, without explicitly stating so, is calling for learning environments that support learning to talk and talk about learning. At any rate, that’s what many teachers and advisors I’ve spoken to are hoping to see from the panel’s final report, which is due to be published this autumn. Ofsted’s view Some teachers have spoken out about how the knowledge-rich curriculum era has led to heavy subject content demands squeezing out opportunities to engage in rich classroom discourse. And that’s before you even get the standardised resources and time-intensive approaches that manyMATs insist on. It should be noted, however, that Geoff Barton – chair of the aforementioned Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in England – has said he’s “ Reassured that oracy would be woven into the final report ”, following Curriculum Review’s interim report and subsequent conversations with Professor Francis. So what’s Ofsted’s view? InMarch 2024, the regulator published a report on the teaching of English that sought to evaluate what it perceived as schools’ strengths and weaknesses in this area across the country (see tinyurl.com/ts145-O5 ). As well as clearly stating that “ Schools do not consider spoken language well in their curriculum ,” the report puts forward some firm recommendations aimed at ensuring “ The National Curriculum requirements are translated into practice .’ This appeared to signal a significant shift away from where things stood, back when the CFEY and Oxford University observed that ‘spoken language’ barely featured in Ofsted’s reports at all. Going forward All stakeholders, from classroom teachers to policymakers, broadly agree that our world is undergoing a series of dramatic changes in the technological, political and environmental spheres. The reforms brought about in 2014 byMichael Gove and the coalition government need to be re-examined and overhauled. Too many students with SEND, and those from socio- economically disadvantaged backgrounds aren’t achieving the standards currently being demanded by our testing regimes. Every teacher who has entered the profession since then will be unfamiliar with teaching outside of the knowledge-rich curriculum. From this vantage point, it looks like we’ll need to be patient while we wait to see if and how the incoming CurriculumReview changes will at last let us develop our young people into highly effective communicators – and then be patient a while longer, as we implement the various practices and approaches needed to make that happen. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jennifer Hampton (@brightonteacher) is an English teacher, literacy lead and former SLE (literacy) SO...WHATDO WE ACTUALLY MEAN BY ‘ORACY EDUCATION’? Oracy education is the intentional cultivation of the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through speaking, listening and communication. It comprises three interrelated, overlapping and mutually reinforcing components: • Learning to talk, listen and communicate The development of children’s speaking, listening and communication skills. • Learning through talk, listening and communication The use of talk or dialogue to foster and deepen children’s learning. • Learning about talk, listening and communication Building knowledge and understanding of speaking, listening and communication in its many contexts. – ‘We Need To Talk’ report produced by the Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in England, October 2024 51 teachwire.net/secondary O R A C Y