Speak for Change Inquiry - report launched April 2021

The Oracy All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has published its final Inquiry report which highlights the significant impact of the pandemic on the already marked spoken ‘language gap’ between disadvantaged students and their peers.

Download the Oracy APPG Inquiry report here

Download the Oracy APPG Inquiry report Executive Summary here

The ability to communicate effectively is an essential ingredient to both success in school and beyond. The Inquiry has heard compelling and wide-ranging evidence as to why oracy is vital for children and young people’s educational progress and life prospects, and about the detrimental impact for those who miss out.

The report finds that the development of spoken language skills requires purposeful and intentional teaching and learning throughout children’s schooling, yet there is a concerning variation in the time and attention afforded to oracy across schools, meaning that for many children, the opportunity to develop these skills is left to chance. 

The pandemic has increased the imperative to act now. The Oracy APPG believes that there is an indisputable case for oracy as an integral aspect of education and that all children and young people should benefit from high-quality oracy education as a consistent and comprehensive entitlement of their education in school. To achieve this we are calling for a shift in educational culture and values, policy and practice to:

  1. Raise the status and priority of oracy in education
  2. Set out shared expectations for oracy across schools
  3. Equip and empower teachers and schools to develop their students oracy skills - providing them with tools and resources they need to do this.