"We have many children in our schools who also still do really worry about whether they're going to get it right or not. And that stops them from volunteering to talk. Which is why I'm really interested in other systems which are not just about waiting for volunteers or asking for volunteers." - Topsy Page

Topsy Page is an Oracy Cambridge Associate and the author of "Oracy: 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers" and co-author of "Oracy: 100 Ideas for Secondary Teachers".

In this episode Topsy shares thoughts from her Philosophy for Children approach to Oracy and the effect it has had on the children she has worked with.

You'll hear how:

• Children became so engrossed in communicating with each other in lessons that they didn't want to leave at breaktime.
• Encouraging children to expand on their thoughts with a positive "Yes and..." approach can create a new belief in themselves.
• We are moving from the Victorian methods of learning, but it's a slow turning tanker rather than a rapid 360. (But we're getting there.)

You can get Topsy's books from her website: TopsyPage.com

And click here to read more about the charity she works with - Thoughtful.

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Oracy And Beyond is hosted by me, Al Booth.

If you're organising a conference, summit or live event and need a host, panel moderator or interviewer, I'd love to help.

I'm a broadcaster with more than 25 years' experience across BBC and commercial radio and television. I'm also a live event host and a podcast producer.

I mix the curiosity of a storyteller with the instincts of an interviewer, all to help people connect.

You can find out more at AlBooth.co.uk

Or connect with me on LinkedIn at the Oracy And Beyond page.

"A student was excluded from a mainstream school in Coventry. He did display very challenging behaviour in the community as well. And we use the music studio a lot. So he started writing song lyrics, then he used these to construct his prose. And he's performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company in a short version of Midsummer Night's Dream. He's written the rap and he's also just done his English speaking board level two exam." - Sharon Gray

Sharon Gray has the title of Head of English at the Alternative Provision she teaches at in Warwickshire.

After listening to her passion and her creative ways for engaging with young people who hadn't previously had a sense of connection, Sharon Gray should hold the title of Head of English FOR THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD.

In this very inspiring episode, Sharon discusses:

• How oracy is with is from the very start of life to the very end.
• How human connection can give hope to young people who didn't feel heard before.
• How creativity with visuals leads to greater communication skills in written work.

And how students from her AP have been working with The Royal Shakespeare Company on a 2026 version of Shakespeare's classics that speak to young people.

Speaking of which you absolutely need to hear an example of that:

Here are students with their re-worked rap for Romeo & Juliet.

Find out more about the work Sharon does at the Coventry Academy and how she has garnered the support of Ed Sheeran - here.

Sharon Gray LinkedIn

If you'd like to be on the show you can find out more at OracyAndBeyond.com

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Hello, I'm Al Booth. I'm the host of Oracy And Beyond.

I'm also a broadcaster with over 25+ years' experience in BBC and commercial radio & TV, a podcast producer, and a live event and conference host.

And before any of that I was a shy and unconfident child who wanted to grow up to be a radio presenter but just didn't have the confidence.

If you'd like to work with me - whether that's to host your conference, moderate a panel, or create a podcast - you can find me in these following places.

Website: AlBooth.co.uk

LinkedIn: Al Booth

"Oracy isn't just about learning to talk, it's about learning through talk. It's about building those cognitive foundations for everything else." - Tracie Butterfill, National Lead Early Years and Families @ Twinkl

This conversation had me wishing I could rewind with my children and start again.

Tracie talks about how we should instruct instead of ask. Say "Thank You" instead of "Please".

That alone would have saved hours of getting shoes on time over the years!

Tracie highlights that oracy isn't just about learning to talk; it’s about learning through talk. It serves as the cognitive foundation for everything else, leveling the playing field before formal education even begins.

• Receptive Language: Babies start by taking in all the information around them.
• Non-Verbal Cues: Communication begins through facial expressions and eye contact.
• The Pointing Phase: Children use gestures and simple utterances to label their world (e.g., "daddy," "car," "bottle").
• Vocabulary Bursts: Interest-based learning—like memorising every dinosaur name—fuels an explosion in vocabulary.

The conversation emphasises that oracy is a primary area of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), alongside physical and personal-social development.

• Social Mobility: Strong communication skills allow children from all backgrounds to advocate for themselves and engage with their peers.
• The "Buzz" of Learning: A healthy early years setting is never silent; it’s filled with the "buzz" of child-led discussion and interaction.
• Impact of COVID-19: Lockdown limited social networks, depriving many "only children" or eldest siblings of peer role models to mimic and learn from.

For children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), specifically autistic children, oracy requires a literal approach to reduce anxiety.

As with every episode, we have a guest from the previous show.

Eric Chamberlin asked: If we add oracy to the curriculum, must we take away from literacy or numeracy?

Tracie argues that they should stand equally. Because the brain develops most rapidly in the first 1,000 days, getting "the talk" right early on makes later literacy and numeracy much easier to grasp.

How do you think we can better support parents in busy households to prioritize "learning through talk" during everyday routines?

You can connect with Tracie Butterfill on LinkedIn here

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Hello — I’m Al Booth, host of Oracy And Beyond, broadcaster, live host and panel moderator, and podcast producer

I created this podcast to explore how young people can develop confidence, self-worth and communication skills through oracy.

I’m not an oracy expert. I’m just a former shy child who found his voice.

I've been there and I am fascinated how we can help other young people find their voice.

For me, that's through podcasting and workshops.

If this episode sparked ideas for your setting, I’d love to continue the conversation and explore how we might work together.

If you are looking for a host for your next conference, want to look into podcasting, or would like to discuss my oracy-led podcast workshop for schools, let's have a chat.

Email Me al@albooth.co.uk

Connect on LinkedIn

Learn more: OracyAndBeyond.com

Thank you for listening. I look forward to chatting with you.