Transforming Children's Lives Through Oracy: The Jigsaw Approach

The Power of Spoken Communication in Education

Developing strong speaking and listening skills opens doors for children throughout their education and beyond. In Jigsaw PSHE and RE classrooms, teachers see how structured communication activities gradually build students' confidence in the school community. Children who once hesitated to join discussions become more willing to share their ideas, finding their voice in the supportive environment.

At its core, oracy is defined by Voice 21 as ‘the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language’. The importance of oracy has been highlighted by the Oracy Education Commission's 2024 reports, which emphasise three critical outcomes:

• Better preparing young people to become fulfilled citizens who can navigate an increasingly polarised information landscape

• Recognising oracy as a fundamental building block for reading, writing, and academic progression

• Acknowledging the rising importance of communication skills in an AI-transformed job market

Organisations like Speech and Language UK also recognise the crucial role that classroom teachers play in developing children's oracy skills, offering support for teachers to develop key skills in every classroom.

The Natural Connection Between Oracy, PSHE and RE

The Jigsaw approach is uniquely positioned to develop children's oracy skills. Unlike content-heavy approaches that rely primarily on presentations or videos, Jigsaw centres around active participation, with structured opportunities for meaningful talk embedded throughout all programmes.

PSHE and RE equip children for life in today’s world - for managing relationships and personal wellbeing within and beyond the school walls. Both subjects provide critical opportunities for children to explore and develop the skills and knowledge needed to articulate and discuss diverse perspectives on fundamental questions of values, beliefs and ethics.

Jigsaw PSHE and RE: Systematic Development of Oracy Skills

PSHE 3-11: Building Foundations for Effective Communication

The comprehensive progression within Jigsaw PSHE 3-11 ensures that oracy skills develop systematically throughout primary education.

From Early Years to age 7, the focus is on building basic communication confidence through engaging activities. ‘Calm Me’ time develops listening skills through mindfulness strategies, while ‘Connect’ activities make turn-taking natural and enjoyable. The Jigsaw Friends, Jerrie Cat and the Jigsaw Charter along with scaffolded discussions and carefully planned questioning all create a safe space where young children feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.

As children progress between ages 8-11, our framework supports more sophisticated communication. Discussion guidelines help students explore more complex topics, with activities like ‘Conscience Alley’, role play, and debating scaffolding oracy opportunities. Diamond nines and continuums develop reasoning alongside speaking confidence, preparing students for respectful, nuanced dialogue.

PSHE 11-16: Advancing Communication Skills for Adolescents

Building on the primary foundation, Jigsaw PSHE 11-16 continues to develop oracy skills essential for adolescents navigating increasingly complex social landscapes. Students engage in more sophisticated discussions around challenging topics such as relationships, mental health, and future careers, requiring advanced vocabulary and communication strategies.

The secondary programme reinforces oracy through structured debates, panels, whole-class and partner discussions, role play and facilitated discussions where multiple viewpoints can be expressed respectfully.

Jigsaw RE: Dialogue across Worldviews

Religious Education offers exceptional opportunities for developing oracy through meaningful dialogue about fundamental questions. When exploring diverse faiths and worldviews, children learn to articulate abstract concepts, practise respectful discussion around potentially sensitive topics, and develop critical thinking skills.

Through structured discussions, debates, and reflections on religious stories and practices, children build sophisticated vocabulary and the ability to consider multiple perspectives. Jigsaw RE explicitly teaches children how to engage respectfully with viewpoints different from their own, as well as reflecting on and articulating their own worldview; crucial life skills to develop and value.

Jigsaw and the Four Dimensions of Oracy

When examining Voice 21's Oracy Benchmarks, it's clear that Jigsaw PSHE and RE naturally address all four dimensions:

Physical: Facial expression and eye contact are regularly practised through Connect Us games and planned discussions across both PSHE and RE.

Linguistic: Both Jigsaw PSHE and RE provide age-appropriate vocabulary related to knowledge content and social-emotional learning, moving beyond everyday terms to incorporate more tier 2 and 3 vocabulary that appears across subject areas.

Cognitive: The Jigsaw spiral curriculums build systematically on prior learning, encouraging children to reason whilst discussing different views in a safe environment.

Social and Emotional: Working with others and turn-taking are built into every Jigsaw lesson, as are listening and responding appropriately. Children learn to encourage their peers to participate, recognising that all views and experiences are valuable.

Bringing Oracy to Life in Jigsaw Classrooms

Successful oracy development requires careful, consistent practice. Jigsaw provides clear frameworks that develop speaking and listening skills, recognising that confident communication grows through regular practice in supportive settings.

Every Jigsaw lesson includes focused discussion activities that establish the tone. Teachers create safe speaking environments through the Jigsaw Charter, helping children feel secure within clear discussion guidelines. Teachers can use the ‘Ask Me This’ questions that are built into lessons, to ask planned open-ended questions. Confidence grows with support, so Jigsaw offers carefully structured activities that build competence over time. Children start with simple sentence stems like "I feel..." or "I think...", gradually progressing towards expressing complex ideas and emotions, with carefully built opportunities for teachers to model vocabulary, sentence structures and use the suggested questions to support high quality oracy skill development.

Supporting Every Child

Jigsaw's strength lies in its inclusive approach to oracy. Understanding that children communicate differently, Jigsaw provides various paths to success. Visual aids and adaptable activities support children who need additional processing time. Peer support systems allow children to practise speaking in smaller groups before contributing to whole-class discussions.

Strong emotional vocabulary forms the foundation for effective communication. Specific key vocabulary for every lesson allows teachers to easily pre-teach and display it within the classroom, further enhancing accessibility for all learners.

Enhancing Oracy Through Additional Jigsaw Programmes

While Jigsaw PSHE and RE provide the foundation for oracy development, additional programmes further enhance these skills:

Jigsaw Families

The Families programme extends oracy development beyond school walls. By connecting school-based learning with home conversations, children can practise oracy skills learnt in school with parents and carers, developing audience awareness and intergenerational dialogue as they learn to adapt their communication to different settings.

Jigsaw Outdoors

Taking learning beyond classroom walls creates distinctive opportunities for oracy. The outdoor environment naturally encourages different types of talk – from collaborative problem-solving to reflective observations about the natural world. The multisensory outdoor experience enriches children's descriptive vocabulary and provides authentic contexts for developing voice projection and listening skills.

Jigsaw Games

Through structured games, children practise turn-taking, active listening, clear instructions, and strategic communication—all while engaged in enjoyable activities that reduce self-consciousness. The cooperative elements develop both the social and physical dimensions of oracy, as children learn to negotiate, compromise, and encourage others.

References

Voice 21 (2020). The Oracy Framework. Available at: https://voice21.org/oracy/

Voice 21 (2019). Oracy Benchmarks. Voice 21Benchmarks-report-FINAL.pdf

Oracy Education Commission (2024). Speaking Volumes. Voice 21Speaking-Volumes-OEC-v6b.pdf

Oracy Education Commission (2024). We Need to Talk. Voice 21 FINAL-WE-NEED-TO-TALK.pdf

Speech and Language UK (2023). Supporting speech, language and communication in schools. Available at: https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/