{"id":19157,"date":"2025-11-06T10:03:45","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T10:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esbuk.org\/web\/?p=19157"},"modified":"2026-01-16T14:45:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T14:45:36","slug":"esb-international-responds-to-curriculum-and-assessment-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esbuk.org\/index.php\/esb-international-responds-to-curriculum-and-assessment-review\/","title":{"rendered":"ESB International responds to Curriculum and Assessment Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

ESB International responds to Curriculum and Assessment Review<\/h1>\n\n\n
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ESB International has been an oracy leader since 1953 and we are thrilled to see the review’s position that oracy is a vital skill for learning, employment and life, as well as the review’s call for more coherence and guidance to support good practice across all phases of education, including post-16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. An Oracy Framework<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The recommendation to introduce an oracy framework alongside those for reading and writing is a significant and positive step. At ESB International, we have consistently seen the benefits of structured opportunities for pupils to plan, practice, perform and reflect on their spoken communication. Our collaborative research with Whitgreave Primary School, published in the Chartered College of Teaching\u2019s Impact journal<\/a>, found measurable progress in learners\u2019 confidence, prosody and active listening skills (amongst others) when oracy was taught and assessed in a deliberate way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our external assessment model was recognised by the Oracy All Party Parliamentary Group\u2019s Speak for Change report<\/a> (2021, pg. 43) as an established framework for oracy assessment<\/strong>. Our oracy qualifications, available from Early Years all the way through to adult learners and accredited at Level 1 and above, assess learners with consistency and fairness, while preserving the authenticity of live and varied communication, providing teachers and learners with impartial feedback while celebrating a wide range of strengths and styles. We welcome a future framework that recognises spoken language as equally significant to reading and writing, reflecting the principles that have long underpinned ESB International\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I think this has given them the chance to realise they do have knowledge\u2026 and what they have in their head is also just as important being spoken as it is written.<\/p>\nA quote from the lead teacher at Whitgreave Primary School<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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2. Oracy within 16-19 Education<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The review also notes that current opportunities to develop communication, teamwork and leadership in the post-16 phase are uneven. We welcome this recognition. Strong spoken communication is central to learners\u2019 confidence as they prepare for work, further study and independent living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ESB International\u2019s experience working with sixth forms and colleges shows that externally assessed communication qualifications can provide valuable evidence for the practical, interpersonal skills young people develop in this phase. ESB International\u2019s Oracy assessments encourage reflection, dialogue and adaptability, skills identified in the review as increasingly important for future-proof employability. We believe that oracy offers a potentially game changing pathway for learners who struggle with traditional English resit pathways, with enjoyable assessments grounded in real-world communication and with a strong focus on employability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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