Following our endorsement of the Oracy Education Commission’s Final Report, “We need to talk”, English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. (ESB) is pleased to share further details about our initiatives and how we plan to support the aims of the national oracy entitlement.

“We support:

• the greater emphasis placed on the importance of spoken language;
• the vital need to prepare our young people for their futures in employment, training and education and the role of Oracy in that;
• the recognition that valuing voices and listening to children and young people is central to the nurturing role that teachers and learning plays in children’s and young people’s lives
• and that Oracy education needs to be inclusive, accessible to all and for all and it also needs to be reflective of the lived experiences of our communities and of authentic voices.”

3.5.1 Inclusion

For over 70 years, ESB has advocated for the importance of oracy in education, aligning with the report’s emphasis on establishing oracy as a fundamental skill alongside reading, writing, and arithmetic. `

The organisation believes that every child and young person deserves the chance to develop their communication skills, which are so crucial for success both inside and outside the classroom. By offering inclusive, learner-centred qualifications that focus on speaking and listening skills, ESB ensures that oracy is accessible to all learners, regardless of their background or ability.

3.5.4 What needs to change: Recognise and value different forms of communication

Recognising and valuing different forms of communication is fundamental to ESB’s approach. ESB’s ambitious oracy qualifications follow universal design principles, ensuring that all learners can access assessments through reasonable adjustments. The report emphasises the need to support diverse communication styles, particularly for students with Speech, Language, and Communication Needs (SLCN), which aligns with ESB’s commitment to inclusivity.

Additionally, ESB is proud that its oracy qualification portfolio includes specialist qualifications specifically designed for learners with significant learning needs who do not have a qualification at Level 1 or above. These qualifications help overcome barriers to learning and boost self-esteem, reflecting the report’s findings on the importance of equitable access to education.

Adds Tina, “We believe that assessment should be a fair test of learners’ skills and knowledge. For some learners the usual format of our assessment may not be suitable or accessible, and we recognise that to enable access to our qualifications, additional learning needs are seen in the context of each learner and how they can best achieve.”

One of ESB’s Ambassadors, Hrishi Venkatesh, shared his journey with Aspergers and how ESB assessments helped him become a confident communicator, which he discusses in this video:

As ESB moves forward, it is looking to make its qualifications even more inclusive by reviewing the language used in its assessment criteria and descriptors to make sure learners who are neurodiverse are not disadvantaged.

3.3 The opportunities of oracy education beyond the classroom

3.3.1 Employability and skills

• ‘Workplace experiences, including opportunities for students to practise interview skills and engage in authentic workplace communication, can play a key role in helping young people develop their speaking skills. These experiences also help students to feel more confident about entering the world of work’. (Pg. 34)
• ‘Lack of confidence in speaking skills has a real impact on young people’s career prospects. By Year 11 just 59% feel confident talking about their skills in an interview. Only 60% are aware how a speaker might exert influence through the way they speak.’ The Careers And Enterprise Company, Evidence To The Commission (pg. 34).

ESB assessments simulate real-world speaking and listening scenarios where every learner’s voice is valued, building confidence and agency. Set in small groups, they foster teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, and collaboration, preparing learners for real-world challenges in a supportive environment.

Impact of ESB Employability Focused Assessments

Each year, ESB works with over 200 schools in the UK and internationally, assessing more than 12,000 learners. ESB’s impact is evident in the results of its 2021-2022 National Impact Report, which revealed impressive progress in learners’ communication skills.

Progress made by learners shows that the completion of ESB oracy qualifications has given learners skills and knowledge which are vital to their character and employability, the three pillars of work-readiness as described by The Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

3.3.2 Wellbeing and belonging

‘Intentionally valuing students’ voices and nurturing a culture of agency, attentiveness and collaboration supports children to flourish creatively, civically and in their social and emotional well-being and belonging. This improves their educational experience and their chances of thriving as friends, citizens and workers when they leave school. ‘(p.37)

ESB’s assessment methodology provides a real opportunity for learners to exert individual agency. ESB found through its research into impact (ESB’s National Impact Report 21-22) that learners developed their intra and interpersonal agency through the process of preparing for ESB qualifications. Particularly, learners value the opportunity to make their own choices about what they want to talk about.

The impact that ESB has had as an enrichment on our sixth form has been vast. ESB allows students to bring their personal experiences and community connections into the classroom, fostering meaningful discussions beyond the standard curriculum. It allows us to speak to the communities that learners live in – enabling them to talk about the things that are important to them and not just things that they’re going to be examined in at the end of the year.

Raj Khera, Teacher at ESB Centre, Holly Lodge School

Adds Tina: Through our ambitious and inclusive oracy assessments, we give learners communication-rich opportunities and a platform on which their voice and their passions are not only heard, but valued, delivering confidence and agency and a sense of self.“

Future ESB Initiatives

Enhancing the role of spoken language in the curriculum

While the National Curriculum does address spoken language, its role has been ‘downgraded’ in favour of a greater focus on ‘Reading’ and ‘Writing.’ The curriculum’s approach to spoken language heavily emphasises traditional models, such as presentational talk, poetry recitation, and ‘standard English’.  Moreover, its strong focus on ‘standard English’ risks devaluing other ‘non-standard’ dialects of English.

Standard English has long been a feature of ESB qualifications, so as to reflect the national curriculum. ESB is shifting away from using this terminology to ensure that its qualifications reward authentic, realistic communication. It aims to offer qualifications that allow learners to use different repertoires of English, selecting the right register and tone for each task and context.

New Patron Appointments

ESB is thrilled to announce that author Meena Kumari Wood has become a Patron of the organisation. A passionate advocate for educational success, Meena brings a wealth of experience as a consultant, trainer, and former HMI (Ofsted). Her book, “Secondary Curriculum Transformed: Enabling All to Achieve,” underscores ESB’s impactful work.

Meena states, “It is clear that disadvantaged children are the ones most in need of public speaking skills, especially those from homes, where there is not much talk. As we have seen in a world where entrepreneurial skills and communication skills are paramount, all our students must have the confidence and the ability to articulate their opinions; these are attributes that last a lifetime.”

Connecting this thought to what ESB offers, she adds: “The ‘Connect, Inform, Perform and Employability’ Pathways in ESB assessments contain specific oracy skills for each context. ‘Connect’ allows students to develop their literacy and analytical skills, through a biographical talk, a chosen poem or drama piece and includes being able to respond to audience questions. ‘Inform’ can be focused on a KS3 topic in any subject. Students may give a personal interest talk, review a news piece and give a persuasive speech, within a political, economic, environmental or social context. ‘Perform’ allows students to unlock their creativity through the performance of a self-composition or performance of an established work. ‘Employability’ supports those who wish to deepen their understanding of a career and to prepare for the job market”.

ESB also has a second set of pathways tailored specifically for KS4 learners.

Additionally, ESB has appointed Disability Rights Champion Dr Kush Kanodia as a Patron of ESB. Dr Kanodia was drawn to ESB after hearing of its Outreach Campaign, which financially supports organisations and groups, whose learners face disadvantage due to socio economic, migrant or asylum seeker status, or special educational needs and disabilities.

Tina adds, “We look forward to Meena Kumari Wood and Dr Kanodia getting involved in ESB’s mission to remove barriers for learners. I am in no doubt of the positive impact that they will bring to our work.”

Oracy for All Campaign Launch 

ESB is launching its Oracy for All campaign in the next few weeks, which aims to reach more learners with significant learning needs, encouraging them to take our qualifications to help equip them with the confidence, communication, independence, work, and life skills to help them succeed. This campaign aligns with ESB’s commitment to fostering inclusivity, ensuring that every learner, regardless of their challenges, has access to high-quality oracy education that empowers them to achieve their full potential.

Find out more

ESB is proud to support the Oracy Education Commission’s vision and continue to work towards a future where every learner has access to high-quality oracy education that meets their individual needs and supports their development as confident communicators.

You can read the full report here.