Voice 21
The Voice 21 programme is a UK-based school improvement framework dedicated to embedding high-quality oracy (speaking and listening) education across the curriculum. Developed out of School 21 in Stratford, London, the charity Voice 21 equips educators to systematically teach children how to articulate ideas, build confidence, and deepen their learning through talk.
The Core Oracy Framework
The foundation of the programme is its Oracy Skills Framework, which splits effective communication into four core strands:
- Physical: Managing voice (pace, tone, projection) and body language (eye contact, posture, gestures).
- Linguistic: Selecting appropriate vocabulary, grammar, and rhetorical techniques suited to the context and audience.
- Cognitive: Structuring arguments, clarifying information, summarising points, and analysing views critically.
- Social & Emotional: Developing active listening skills, turn-taking, managing interactions, and building conversational confidence.
Dual Approach to Learning
Voice 21 trains teachers to maintain a balance between two distinct pedagogical practices:
- Learning to Talk: Explicitly teaching the rules of discussion, speech-making, and effective presentation as a core skill.
- Learning through Talk: Using structured dialogue, group problem-solving, and verbal reasoning to grasp complex academic content across subjects (e.g., maths or history).
The Oracy Benchmarks
To help schools audit and transform their institutional culture, Voice 21 established the Oracy Benchmarks. These are divided into professional requirements for staff and structural goals for leadership:
| Category | The 5 Key Benchmarks | Description / What it Looks Like in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Benchmarks | 1. Sets high expectations | Establishes ambitious talk norms and provides purposefully planned speaking opportunities. |
| 2. Values every voice | Scaffolds learning so all students participate; listens meaningfully to encourage deeper ideas. | |
| 3. Teaches oracy explicitly | Intentionally designs lessons to develop discrete speaking and listening skills over time. | |
| 4. Harnesses oracy to elevate learning | Uses strategic talk to deepen conceptual understanding across the whole curriculum. | |
| 5. Appraises progress in oracy | Regularly evaluates student speech and provides formative feedback alongside peer assessment. | |
| School Benchmarks | 1. Shared vision and culture | School leaders prioritise oracy, creating an ethos where talk is valued as highly as literacy. |
| 2. Oracy leadership | Designating an internal "Oracy Lead" and "Champion" to steer CPD and cross-phase curriculum planning. | |
| 3. Professional learning | Ongoing, structured staff training to keep talk pedagogy sharp and unified across departments. | |
| 4. Comprehensive curriculum | Mapping progressive oracy milestones sequentially from early years up to school-leaving age. | |
| 5. Inclusivity and equity | Ensuring vulnerable children and those with lower starting points get targeted, supportive intervention. |
Impact and School Membership
As a Voice 21 as member school, we gain access to standardised assessment toolkits, specialised staff training modules, and national networking events.
Independent evaluations, such as reviews by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), show that implementing the programme boosts academic engagement, enhances writing skills, and acts as a major social equaliser for disadvantaged students