Oracy Centre of Excellence 2026 Report for

Horizon Cc

School strengths

Oracy is an integral part of Horizon Community College’s approach to ensure that all students are “school ready, work ready and life ready”. This clarity of vision and commitment, combined with strong implementation processes, has led to oracy being a core part of teaching and learning at the college. Clear and consistent approaches to talk sit across all departments to ensure high standards and a strong dialogic approach. Subject leaders have been supported to develop their unique ways of using oracy to support disciplinary learning and thinking.

Students are given excellent opportunities beyond the classroom to develop their oracy skills in different contexts. Form time and assembly discussions see students engaging in discussing varied and challenging topics and this value and profile of oracy is further raised through celebration of student oracy in weekly videos, oracy weeks and social media posts.

Recommendations

Horizon CC have established strong common approaches to oracy. To continue to develop and sustain a high-quality oracy education, we recommend refining the current curriculum for oracy in the following ways:

Use the HCAT progression document to explicitly plan and teach skills relevant to specific year groups in the planned talk outcomes for each subject.

Identify opportunities in the Oracy Road Map where students could talk to different audiences to develop their confidence and application of skills.

An additional development would be to continue work on bringing the wider school community on board with the vision for oracy. This might include further involvement of governors and parents.

Area of excellence

Focused implementation planning and high-quality targeted professional development have been instrumental in achieving excellent practice in oracy across Horizon Community College. Leaders have been clear about every next step they have wanted to achieve and have implemented this through a range of well-thought through mechanisms such as whole school and departmental professional development, Oracy Weeks, coaching and inquiry groups. This has been followed up with thorough monitoring so that oracy has developed incrementally with appropriate next steps at just the right time.

School Benchmark 1: Has an ambitious vision for oracy

Oracy is valued as a core approach that underpins the school’s vision of school ready, work ready and life ready. The school’s aim is for oracy to be woven through all that is done at Horizon CC. Implementation planning demonstrates how this is being achieved at classroom, curriculum and cultural levels within the College.

School Benchmark 2: Builds a culture of oracy

Students are given opportunities to talk in different contexts beyond subject lessons. Votes for schools and oracy assemblies have developed student confidence in discussing a range of topical issues. Success in oracy is visible to the school community through mentions in weekly videos and social media posts, supporting pupil recognition and confidence.

School Benchmark 3: Has a sustained and wide-ranging curriculum for oracy

Extensive work with Subject Leads has resulted in a clear Oracy Road Map which outlines the core oracy outcomes students will experience in a range of subjects throughout their time at the school. These outcomes support students to develop their disciplinary thinking and knowledge as well as develop core skills from the Oracy Framework.

School Benchmark 4: Recognises oracy as central to learning

Horizon CC have incorporated talk-based approaches for learning into the school’s wider pedagogical strategy through the TALK rules and talk tactics. There is a strong emphasis on learning through talk across disciplines, with key faculties taking ownership over oracy in their subjects. Professional development for oracy responds to the needs of staff and students.

School Benchmark 5: Is accountable for the impact of oracy

Oracy is embedded into the college Teaching and Learning Framework and so it is regularly monitored and feedback given to staff through weekly updates on teaching and learning. Oracy is incorporated into coaching sessions and is an option for staff to choose as an area of inquiry to improve their practice.

As a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence, you’ll now be offered exclusive opportunities including participating in network opportunities; engaging in research and innovation projects; hosting Oracy Schools; attending peer reviews with other Voice 21 Oracy Centres of Excellence and speaking at national events.

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For questions about this review, contact Ellen Wilson at Voice 21.