At Norton CEVC Primary School, our curriculum is rich in oracy opportunities for our children. Our children love to share ideas. With knowledge and skills, experiences and vocabulary at the core of our curriculum, we are committed to using purposeful talk throughout our school to drive forward learning. We do this through talk in the classroom, which has been planned, modelled, scaffolded and structured to enable all learners to develop the skills needed to talk effectively and with confidence in school and in life. We see it as essential that children acquire the ability to be able to speak coherently and politely in their everyday experiences to communicate their thoughts effectively.

At Norton we want all our pupils to be active listeners, which means giving a speaker undivided attention, listening to them carefully, reflecting on what has been said and responding in a way that shows understanding. We intend to develop their listening skills so that they can soak up the many forms of language and literature around them and respond appropriately in conversations, discussions, in answering questions and following instructions. Pupils who listen carefully in class can readily begin their work. Classroom dialogue is integral, pupils interact with the teacher and one another when they offer thoughts, questions and ideas. Pupils who are in tune with class conversations are equipped to partake in the discussions. Pupils who listen in class gain a better understanding of the content the teacher presents and can identify the fundamental concepts. Their concentration ultimately results in storage of information in memory. This helps pupils when they need to recall and build upon prior knowledge. Good listeners are better equipped to connect to new ideas and content.

How it is taught: 

• Regular speaking and listening activities are embedding in the planning of our English curriculum 

• Challenging and appropriate vocabulary is at the forefront of all our teaching 

• Teachers model formal language, high level vocabulary, good sentence grammar in all interchanges with children 

• How to listen and active listening is taught and modelled throughout each lesson in each day but also using fun activities to develop good listening. 

• Discussion time is promoted in withing the classroom and during assemblies 

• Children are encouraged to work in groups and use collaborative speaking and listening skills 

• Drama and performances  

• Pupils are given an additional voice through school and eco councils, Junior Journalists and Anti-Bullying Ambassadors. 

How it is assessed: 

• Teachers make formative judgements within lessons through pupils' participation, feedback and observation. 

Speaking and Listening Progression Map