ESB International welcomes Lucy Powell’s plans to ‘hardwire’ oracy into the National Curriculum. Here’s how schools can get ahead.

What has the Education Secretary announced about oracy?

In her address, Lucy Powell highlighted the importance of confident communication for learners’ future opportunities, particularly as artificial intelligence continues to transform education and employment.

The Education Secretary announced that oracy would become a distinct strand within the revised English National Curriculum, with an emphasis on ensuring children from all backgrounds have opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills.

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“…with AI on the rise, we need to go harder on the skills that makes us human, like oracy.
 
That ability to articulate yourself confidently is central to success in work and in life, but for too long it’s been a marker of privilege.
 
Now it will become the right of every child – nobody left out because they can’t speak up.
 
That’s why we’re hardwiring oracy into the revised National Curriculum.
 
And I can announce today that I will give oracy equal status to reading and writing, as a new strand of the English curriculum.
 
Working with you, working with Ofqual, and as part of our curriculum review, oracy will light up every classroom.  
 
Both in content and in assessment, speaking, listening and communicating will be a core part of every child’s education, from primary to GCSE and beyond.” 

Read Education Secretary Lucy Powell’s full speech to Confederation of School’s Conference 2026

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She also indicated that assessment would form part of this renewed focus.

For schools, this signals a potentially significant change in how oracy is positioned within the curriculum.

While the detailed requirements and assessment arrangements are still to be established, the announcement provides a clear indication of the direction of education policy in England: speaking, listening and effective communication are to receive recognition alongside reading and writing.

Why oracy assessment matters just as much as teaching it

At ESB International, we have long maintained that speaking and listening should be treated as fundamental skills, worthy of meaningful assessment and recognition.

Schools already dedicate considerable attention to developing literacy and numeracy, supported by established methods for evaluating learners’ progress and celebrating their achievements.

We believe oracy deserves similar consideration.

After all, how can schools consistently demonstrate progress in speaking and listening without opportunities to assess and recognise these skills?

Meaningful oracy assessment can help schools establish clear expectations, understand individual learners’ strengths, identify areas for development and demonstrate progression throughout their education.

It can also provide learners with something particularly valuable: formal recognition of their ability to communicate.

For many young people, having their speaking and listening skills assessed and celebrated can be an important confidence-building experience. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate skills that may not always be reflected in traditional written assessments.

Assessment need not mean additional examinations or unnecessary pressure on teachers. When thoughtfully designed, it can complement everyday classroom learning and provide meaningful evidence of achievement.

Over 70 years of championing oracy and its assessment

ESB International’s commitment to oracy predates the current national conversation by more than seven decades.

Since its establishment in 1953, the organisation has championed the importance of spoken communication, providing qualifications that give learners opportunities to develop and demonstrate their speaking and listening skills.

Its involvement extends beyond qualification delivery.

ESB International contributed evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Oracy’s Speak for Change inquiry, advocating for oracy to receive greater recognition within education policy and for assessment pathways that recognise spoken communication. The inquiry recognised ESB International’s established qualification framework as a model for assessing learners’ oracy skills.

More recently, ESB International also welcomed the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s focus on oracy, supporting calls for greater coherence and recognition of these skills throughout education.

The latest announcement reflects many of the principles ESB International has consistently championed: that every learner deserves an opportunity to develop their voice, that communication skills are essential for education and employment, and that their achievements deserve meaningful recognition.

What are the benefits of assessing oracy in schools?

Through its longstanding work with schools and learners, ESB International has seen how structured oracy assessment can support personal development alongside academic progression.

Our assessment approach places learners at the centre of the experience, encouraging them to choose topics that reflect their interests, share ideas with others and participate in purposeful communication.

The benefits of this approach can extend well beyond an individual assessment.

ESB International’s collaborative research with Whitgreave Primary School, published in the Chartered College of Teaching’s Impact journal, identified measurable improvements in learners’ confidence, prosody and active listening when oracy was taught and assessed through a structured approach.

Read the full article here.

These principles underpin ESB International’s approach to assessment, which prioritises authentic communication, learner choice and supportive assessment experiences.

How can schools assess oracy within their curriculum?

As schools consider what the proposed National Curriculum changes could mean for their teaching and assessment, ESB International already provides established qualification pathways that can be adapted to different learners, settings and curricular priorities.

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