English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. is supporting a new parliamentary inquiry Speak for Change, led by Emma Hardy MP, which is paving the way to improve oracy education in schools.
As a member of The Oracy Network, ESB is proud to be part of a movement championing the value of good speaking and listening skills and the need for oracy to be reflected in educational policy making and curriculum development.
There is a rapidly growing recognition of the importance of teaching children and young people to speak effectively and with confidence, in order to aid their learning and prepare them for life beyond school. The Speak for Change inquiry will investigate the current provision of oracy education in the UK, assess its value and impact, and identify the barriers teachers are facing in embedding and prioritising oracy in school.
An ESB team, led by Chief Examiner, Elaine Rudduck, attended the launch of the inquiry held in Parliament to speak to MPs and learners, and to meet with the Oracy Network to emphasise the importance of oracy for improving social mobility and job prospects for young people.
Elaine Rudduck, Chief Examiner
“Our qualifications develop confidence, improve communication skills, realise potential and recognise achievement with an accredited award, so we are incredibly proud to be part of the exciting conversations happening about oracy through The Oracy Network.” said Elaine.
“It’s fantastic to see that oracy is starting to be recognised as a priority in education.”
ESB’s primary objective is to promote clear communication across society – stretching the most able and supporting the least confident. Many of ESB’s Speech assessments are carried out in supportive listening groups, allow learners to choose study pathways which reflect their interests and strengths, and are designed to empower and support them as they find their voice. ESB shares the Oracy APPG’s vision to improve everyone’s ability to articulate their ideas, thereby creating greater opportunities for social mobility.
One of the MPs at the launch was Tracy Brabin MP who said:
Tracy Brabin MP
I’ve seen first-hand the need for teaching oracy in schools. Many of the pupils in my Batley and Spen constituency have the academic skills but lack those key communication skills to help them progress, particularly as they apply to their chosen colleges or universities.
MPs who are members of the Oracy APPG are calling on the education sector to have their say and submit evidence. The Oracy APPG need help to promote the inquiry to ensure they gather a wide range of views from across society and highlight how important oracy is for the next generation.
A call for evidence is now open and the inquiry will welcome written and video submissions from across the education sector, industry and civil society. Most importantly, it will ensure the views of teachers, parents, children and young people are represented.
If you feel passionately about oracy in your centre, or know someone in your network who does, please contact Deborah Bassett on deborah.bassett@esbuk.org to help spread the word and Speak for Change.
Nathan Wilson brought a fantastic visual aid into Omagh High School for his ESB assessment – an adorable young lamb.
Nathan Wilson with his visual aids
For his Level 1 Award in Speech, Nathan gave a lively presentation on ‘Sheep Farming’ before going onto recite William Blake’s ‘The Lamb’ from memory.
His ESB Assessor, Ian Patterson was taken by surprise when Nathan’s visual aid came skipping into the classroom. Said Ian,
Nathan really went the extra mile when it came to his captivating talk on ‘Sheep Farming’! This is a brilliant example of how a unique visual aid can really bring a talk to life.
Nathan and his fellow ESB candidates all performed exceptionally well in their assessments, with each of them going on to receive Distinction grades.
Find out more about our Speech qualifications here.
Emma Carlisle swam her way to victory by winning Ireland’s first medal in the 2019 Special Olympics.
Emma (middle) with her proud parents at the 2019 Special Olympics
As part of her ‘Oral Communication in the Community’ qualification, Emma delivered a superb presentation to ESB Assessor, Joan Blackham, on her swimming training schedule in preparation for the big event, this year held in Abu Dhabi.
Joan had quite a job keeping note of all the details of Emma’s intensive training, and was impressed by her enthusiasm which shone throughout her talk. Said Joan:
Emma delivered her talk on swimming with such passion, it really was no surprise to us all that she came out a winner!
Emma’s classmates at Belfast Metropolitan College followed the press coverage of her swimming successes, including bronze medals for back stroke and front crawl and ultimately gold for four-length front crawl!
Fellow student, Joshua McKinnell recalls, “I was very impressed by the hard work Emma had put into preparing for her Olympic challenge. It was great to see her sporting the ‘Team Ireland’ t-shirt!”
Emma was greeted with cakes and high-fives from her fellow ESB learners when she returned to Northern Ireland an Olympic champion.
Please watch the mini BBC documentary ‘The Kennedy Who Changed the World‘ on iPlayer to find out how the Special Olympics began, and how sport can change the lives of people with learning difficulties.
ESB Trustee and Vice President, Merriel Halsall-Williams brushed shoulders with royalty when the Prince of Wales visited Lambeth Palace to present the Prayer Book Society’s Cranmer Awards.
Prince of Wales with Cranmer Award Winners
Merriel founded the annual competition for the Prayer Book Society in 1989 to introduce young people to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and to experience the magnitude of Thomas Cranmer’s words through reading aloud.
His Royal Highness met the worthy winners to present their awards, after hearing them read their favourite passages from memory. He has been a long-standing supporter of the competition, and says ‘I believe the Prayer Book is a glorious part of every English-speaker’s heritage.’
Merriel, who organised the competition, was delighted to again welcome the Prince of Wales to the event and says,
I’m so proud of the youngsters who showed passion and skill bringing Cranmer’s words beautifully to life, and I’m overjoyed that Prince Charles was able to witness the magic of the event.
Merriel was recently awarded the prestigious Richard Ellis Award for her continuing outstanding dedication to the work of ESB.
