Kate Paradine

Voice 21 responds to the Curriculum and Assessment Review - Voice 21

Like @voice21oracy.bsky.social, we're delighted to see prominence given to oracy in the recently published Curriculum and Assessment Review. Here's their response voice21.org/voice-21-res...

Voice 21 responds to the Curriculum and Assessment Review - Voice 21

The inclusion of oracy in today’s Curriculum and Assessment Review is a vital step towards integrating speaking, listening and communication meaningfully into every child’s education.

We look forward to working with Govt to shape the national oracy framework.

Read our response 👇

bit.ly/3JF31FJ

Ten years ago, Voice 21 was founded!

Our special ten-year anniversary Impact Report, launched in July, looks back at the changes we've made, schools we've worked with and lives we've touched over that time.

Read it here 👇
voice21.org/publications...

Brilliant, compelling case for oracy education made by @peterhyman.bsky.social Co-founder of @voice21oracy.bsky.social 👇🏼 ~ vital to deepen learning, well-being, belonging and our connection to each other.

Trying to imagine what the reaction would have been if the Govt had casually announced they were replacing A-levels with no details, as they have done with post-16 vocational qualifcations today.

Probably not total indifference.

🌟A decade of Voice 21 in UK schools. So, what have we learned?

Join @kateparadine.bsky.social, @kathleenmcbride.bsky.social & Mount Pleasant Primary on 22 October to explore strategies & stories from Voice 21 Oracy Schools.

📅Tue 22 Oct | 3.45-4.30pm

Sign up now 👇
oracyoctober.voice21.org/webinars

Oracy October: Webinars

✨ It’s FINALLY here — Oracy October 2025 begins today ✨

Across the month, we’ll be sharing insights from experts, innovators and dedicated practitioners. Best of all, it’s all FREE!

Join us for Oracy October: The Time for Oracy is Now!

👉 oracyoctober.voice21.org/webinars

@janeharrislondon.bsky.social was on Sky News this morning representing @dcpcampaign.bsky.social ahead of the SEND rally today!

Reform is desperately needed so that children with SEND and their families don’t have to fight for the ordinary things in life.

7 research findings to inform your teaching Research evidence can act as a school’s ‘north star’, writes the EEF’s co-CEO, helping teachers and leaders to focus on the ‘best bets’ for making a difference to pupils

✔️🌱'Talk is everywhere in our classrooms...But not all talk is equal'

An insightful list of research findings from Co-CEO Chris Paterson of @theeef.bsky.social for teachers to keep in mind this coming Autumn👇

www.tes.com/magazine/tea...

We were thrilled to see our CEO @kateparadine.bsky.social's letter to the editor published in The Times this weekend!

It is crucial that oracy is central to the national curriculum to create an Oracy Generation who have speaking, listening & communication skills woven throughout their school life.

Today’s Times Letters recognises vital importance of oracy education
@voice21oracy.bsky.social
& as central to national curriculum @beckyfrancis.bsky.social

A wonderful opportunity to build an education system that prepares the next generation for the future & to thrive in school, work and life👇🏼

Spot on again from @samfr.bsky.social ~ what’s desperately needed is a focus on the “boring” problems we face ~ and the often equally boring solutions.

“Doomerism” ignores both.

Open Letter to the Prime Minister - Voice 21

The government have a brilliant opportunity to make oracy a core part of every child’s education

An open letter to the Prime Minister @voice21oracy.bsky.social
urges action so every child can use their voice to thrive in school, work & life eu1.hubs.ly/H0lX7_s0 www.theguardian.com/education/20...

This is a good move, but it would be better if they'd also removed the need to have a referendum to raise council tax above 5%.

Richer southern councils could charge more to cover the gap. As a % of property value, tax is way lower than in poorer areas.

Painting created with multicoloured dots and dashes reflecting a feeling of movement and featuring two Black girls dancing in reddish dresses

Betty Acquah,
Ghanaian painter,
Heart of innocence, 2021 #WomensArt

🍎 Today is National Thank a Teacher Day. Celebrated annually, it’s a great opportunity to express gratitude & appreciation to all teachers for their dedication & hard work

We’d like to highlight the invaluable role of our 16,000+ teachers in fostering oracy across 1,100+ Voice 21 Oracy Schools 👏

Last week @amygaunt.bsky.social, @moorghen.bsky.social & @kateparadine.bsky.social participated in a roundtable hosted by @englishassociation.bsky.social and Speaking Citizens to discuss the significance of speaking, listening, and communication skills for the workforce of the future.

It was a brilliant day. Thanks Louise for all your efforts towards the oracy mission.

Inspirational being at Yesterday’s brilliant #JerseyOracyFestival

So much passion, determination & leadership (especially by Andrew Willis) to be the first island in the British Isles providing high quality oracy education @voice21oracy.bsky.social to every child, in every school, every day.

Poster supporting the BookTrust/Children's Laureate Reading Rights campaign, with illustration by Chris Riddell of a reader with books

Reading with children changes their lives forever, and EVERY SINGLE CHILD is entitled to this right! That's why I support the #ReadingRights campaign. The full report is out today from @booktrust.org.uk & @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social: please read & share!
www.booktrust.org.uk/about-us/rea...

One in four pupils in England ‘disengage’ when they move to secondary, report finds New study found a drop in enjoyment, trust and feelings of safety after year 7 and a largely positive primary experience

We're not surprised😞

Our report, #SupportNotSanctions, found that
2M children with speech and language challenges (a record high!) face unfair punishment because their schools don't know how to support them.

How can children be happy if they're being unfairly punished?

Massive privilege for @voice21oracy.bsky.social to be at this lovely event @amygaunt.bsky.social
@realgeoffbarton.bsky.social talking about creating an Oracy Generation who can chat with any King or Queen and who feel they belong in their school, community & at any #RoyalGardenParty 👑

🌟 Oracy at the Palace 🌟

Yesterday we were delighted to attend the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate those working in Education and Skills. It was an amazing afternoon spent highlighting the importance of oracy 👏

#RoyalGardenParty @kateparadine.bsky.social @amygaunt.bsky.social

An illustration of adults and children hugging and smiling with graphics of stars and a lightbulb, plus the words: "Foster Care Fortnight: The power of relationships #FCF25", and the logo for The Fostering Network

We're proud to support #FosterCareFortnight, which launches today with the theme 'The Power of Relationships'.

We know that shared reading has huge benefits for children in foster care, including supporting bonding and attachment. @fosteringnet.bsky.social #FCF25

Unless the two-child limit is scrapped in the forthcoming child poverty strategy, more and more children across the UK will see their potential - in and outside the school gates - stunted by poverty.

Unless the two-child limit is scrapped in the forthcoming child poverty strategy, more and more children across the UK will see their potential - in and outside the school gates - stunted by poverty.

Such good insights from @voice21oracy.bsky.social schools on the impact of oracy education in making sure children can use their voices to thrive in school, work and life 📣

Did you know all oracy champions within our Voice 21 schools are entitled to attend our national cohort programme Discover Oracy Classroom Practice (DCP)?

Yesterday we sat in the DCP presentation of learning and wanted to share some amazing insights from our Voice 21 Oracy Schools 🧵👇

Thank you to Baroness Glenys Thornton for the kind words!

Speech and language development should be definitely be in the Children's Wellbeing Bill, given that a record-high 2 million children in the UK now have speech and language challenges😞 >> speechandlanguage.org.uk/the-issue/ou...

Voice 21 Oracy Centres of Excellence - Voice 21

Yesterday marked an important deadline for Voice 21 schools wishing to become a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence.

For more info on what this milestone entails and the benefits it brings to schools and students, check out our dedicated page below 👇

voice21.org/voice-21-ora...

Brilliant opportunity for a new curriculum
@beckyfrancis.bsky.social to give oracy
@voice21oracy.bsky.social its proper place in our education system, so that every child can use their voice to thrive in school, work & life.

Other countries are already doing this: We cannot be left behind👇