Oracy

Prioritisation
Almost one in five teachers state that the frequency with which they initiate talk-based activities
is sometimes limited by the fact that their school prioritises pupils producing written work.
In England one reason for teachers’ concerns around
prioritisation might be the relative weight given to different
skills by the curriculum and exam specifications. One teacher
describes changes to the primary curriculum as “dramatic” and
believes that some class teachers may have been left with the
impression pupils can only develop academically by writing.
Two secondary English teachers particularly point to revisions
to the GCSE framework, which now includes a spoken
language component that has to be assessed but which does
not count towards pupils’ final grades. They argue that this
can lead teachers to prioritise writing above all else.
Several interviewees in primary
and secondary schools say that
anxiety over what Ofsted wants to
see in lessons might inhibit some
teachers from using talk more often.
Specifically, they feel some teachers
might be concerned if pupils do not
write enough in their books.
This can mean teachers who value
oracy ‘drop it’ in order to prioritise the
development of other skills, or simply to get
through other content.
The perceived need for a tangible ‘output’
from an activity can exacerbate the
prioritisation of writing over oracy.
“I get the impression some teachers are scared
of spending time doing [talk-based tasks], just
having people talking in a class, and they think
that if somebody comes in it looks like nobody’s
doing anything, and they’ve got nothing to show
for it at the end of the lesson”
Mark Crossley, English Teacher & Key Stage 4 Coordinator, King
Edward VI School
Raising the status of GCSE Spoken Language
Mark Crossley is Key Stage 4 Coordinator at King Edward VI
School. He says that teachers and pupils may prioritise other
areas of GCSE English now the spoken language component
does not count towards final grades. Despite his belief in the
importance of spoken language, he says:
“It’s now a box you have to tick,
but it doesn’t actually count
towards anything”
Mark Crossley,
English Teacher & Key Stage 4 Coordinator
To counteract this he says the school is ‘formalising’ the process of assessment so that
it has status. He says the approach will be comparable to what would happen for an oral
assessment in a language exam:
• Pupils will be taken off-timetable to give their
presentations
• They will present to an English teacher in a separate
and quiet space, but not their regular subject teacher
• Pupils will prepare and practise set presentations
throughout the year
• Presentations will be filmed
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