Oracy Enquiry - Iteration 2

Pupils were challenged to analyse the positives and negatives of the approaches taken. The pupils recorded their findings on a learning journey, to keep track of their experiences throughout the intervention and to see how they developed their ideas of what makes somebody a confident speaker. Along with the lesson starters, there were talking points task sheets developed to fit in with the theme of Gothic Horror, which the pupils were studying at the time. 

Assessment Data

The analysis of the pre and post intervention Oracy assessments showed that 63% improved at least one level between the assessments. Though 37% did not improve a full grade level all but one learner improved at least one fine grade the majority two fine grades.

What’s working well? What aspects are most useful? 

The enquiry has allowed staff and pupils to reflect on the importance of oracy and its impact on progress and learning. 7 members of staff across the English department were involved in delivering the intervention and oracy now has greater recognition, within the department, for the vital role in plays in pupil progress.

The enquiry is a response to the Department and Whole School Development Plan for 2020-2021 and there is evidence that pupil outcomes have improved, in English. When comparing oracy assessment data from Terms 1 (pre-intervention) and 2 (post-intervention), a significant 63% of pupils improved by at least one level. This is a pleasing increase in pupil performance and suggests that the intervention has had a positive impact on outcomes.

The intervention started in the classroom but lockdown forced us to take a blended approach to its delivery. Fortunately, Flipgrid became a useful tool in continuing to promote and record pupils’ oracy, while they were at home. As a result of the pandemic, there were opportunities for staff to upskill themselves in order to reach their pupils. Flipgrid training was provided by our ICT department and its usefulness was recognised by the English department who soon became confident in using it to set assignments, tasks and assessments. Feedback was also given to the pupils using Flipgrid and it will continue to be used. It is also important to note that the quality of the pupils’ performances on Teams was mentioned by staff who felt that, without an audience, pupils were able to lose their inhibitions and give confident and animated contributions. The practising of the skills, in this way, will inevitably lead to more assured performances when an audience is introduced.

The use of coding to analyse qualitative data ensured that the process of interpreting a large quantity of data was more manageable, and findings could be clearly interpreted.

What’s been more of a challenge?  What will you do differently in future? 

While the intervention began in the Autumn Term with pupils in school, the pandemic certainly had an impact on the way the intervention was delivered. The first challenge was ensured that the intervention design was adapted to suit blended learning. This meant using Microsoft Teams to deliver live lessons and/or Streams to guide pupils through each lesson. The intervention continued but opportunity for face to face discussion was restricted and less informal discussion was able to take place. Interestingly, the post-intervention data from our pupils suggests that they were now more reluctant to take part in class discussion, and live teaching was certainly a factor here.

Lockdown also presented challenges with data collection. Fewer pupils completed the post-intervention questionnaire because they were directed to remotely, and pupil engagement became a limitation here. 57 pupils responded to both questionnaires (pre and post intervention) from a cohort of 200+ but the data was representative across the classes.

A further challenge presented itself when creating the intervention design itself. At GCSE English Language pupils are expected to deliver an individual presentation and take part in a group discussion, and the later has been identified as a weakness. Therefore, it was important that the intervention modelled effective group discussion skills, yet finding suitable examples was problematic. The GCSE marking criteria for the Group Discussion requires pupils to listen attentively and respond thoughtfully to the contributions of others. It is also good practice to come to a conclusion as a group and discuss ideas respectfully. However, most examples online were argumentative and focused on ‘winning’ a debate. Contributors often spoke over each other or dismissed other people’s ideas. Although initially this was a challenge, it did prompt the department to create their own model which resulted in 3 members of staff showcasing the skills needed to take part in an effective discussion. It also became possible to give pupils useful thinking points with regards to the discussion and how each member of staff performed. Ultimately, the model discussion became more bespoke for our pupils.

How will you sustain and develop the culture of enquiry in your department? 

The enquiry has allowed the English department to address pupils’ lack of confidence in oracy and it is an intervention programme that can be adapted to benefit other year groups. Therefore, the enquiry will be extended to year 7, in the next academic year. All staff within the department will be involved in adapting the intervention design to ensure that is it suitable for our pupils.

Collaborative learning will be a focal point for the intervention with pupils encouraged to work together to discuss talking points, come to conclusions and practise their group discussion skills. The English department will encourage and facilitate effective group work, in order to allow for more purposeful ‘talk’ in the classroom.