Oracy

Social disadvantage
Numerous studies show that socio-economically disadvantaged
children’s spoken language development in their first term of
nursery school is lower on average than both that of their more
advantaged peers and also in comparison with their own nonverbal
cognitive abilities. 103,104,105 This is crucially important
because, as Roulstone et al. explore in their systematic review of
the existing research, a child’s ability to use spoken language has
an important effect on his or her level of educational attainment.
Poor spoken language ability can therefore act as a mechanism
for entrenching socio-economic inequality in education.
‘There are now clear causal
associations between a
child’s level of language and
communication development
at school entry age and how
this impacts on their literacy
learning and attainment’
Roulstone et al. 106
Furthermore, gaps in language development between more and less socioeconomically advantaged
children tend to widen rather than narrow as children progress through school. This pattern is
particularly stark for learners with SLCN. 107 Children entering school from socioeconomically
disadvantaged backgrounds are also more likely than their more advantaged peers to have a form
of SLCN. Alongside worse educational outcomes, these children are on average more likely to be
permanently excluded, and between 60% and 90% of young people in the justice system have a
form of SLCN, often undiagnosed prior to offending. 108,109
Oracy’s links to employability (explored above) can act as another mechanism for entrenching socioeconomic
inequality. In its qualitative evaluation of non-educational barriers to elite professions the
Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission found that elite firms define ‘talent’ according to a
number of factors including strong communication and debating skills, confidence and ‘polish’. 110 The
report finds:
‘[C]urrent definitions of talent can arguably be closely mapped on to socioeconomic status,
including middle-class norms and behaviours. As such, …the current definition of talent may
disadvantage talented students who have not benefited from similar educational advantages or
been socialised in a middle-class context, no matter how great their aptitude for a professional
career in all other respects’ Ashley et al. 111
Analysis by the Sutton Trust corroborates this and suggests that extroverted people – those who are
more confident, sociable or assertive – have ‘a 25% higher chance of being in a high-earning job,’ and
that personality and aspirations are strongly affected by social background. 112 The report finds:
‘For a variety of reasons, children from more advantaged backgrounds appear more likely to
develop personality characteristics and aspirations which subsequently benefit them in the labour
market’ de Vries and Rentfrow 113
Whilst it would be wrong to suggest that schools should teach all pupils to be extroverted, they should
support pupils’ in developing the self-confidence and social skills that will enhance their life chances. 114
Many teachers recognise oracy’s role in
tackling social disadvantage. As one explains:
“I think it’s of benefit to all pupils, but the teaching
of it is of benefit specifically to our comprehensive
cohort, because there are a lot of kids [who] get a lot
of this exposure anyway. They get it through debates
at the dinner table, they get it through being raised
in certain ways and having certain schooling, and
I think they start with such an advantage”
Andrew Fitch, Head of English & Director of Spoken Literacy,
Highbury Grove School
39