Using a Coaching Model to Boost Oracy in your school

Introduction

In today’s classrooms, developing pupils’ spoken language competencies isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s foundational. As the latest Ofsted English subject report notes, while many schools engage in oracy work, few adopt a distinctive speaking-and-listening curriculum suited to all age groups.

Focus on Talk: A Speaking and Listening Framework addresses that gap. Designed by Clive Davies & Alex Neophitou, it offers a structured, progressive pathway from EYFS through Year 6 across four key oracy strands:

• being confident presenters,
• using Standard English,
• widening vocabulary,
• listening attentively.

But beyond just providing resources, the power of Focus on Talk lies in its coaching-led implementation, turning pupils into oracy leaders and embedding sustained change across the school.

The Coaching Model Embedded in Focus on Talk (KS2)

The coaching model that underpins the product draws on best practices in teacher and pupil coaching. Here's how it unfolds in practice:

1. Select and Train a Core Group (“Talk Champions”)

Rather than trying to overhaul speaking across the whole school at once, Focus on Talk encourages starting with a small cohort of pupils. These become “Talk Champions” — learners who receive more intentional guidance and support in oracy and then help cascade good practice.

2. Baseline Recording & Video Reflection

To raise awareness of speaking habits, these pupils are recorded giving an initial talk (without scaffolds). Teachers then facilitate reflective viewing sessions, prompting pupils to notice filler words, weak structure, body language, etc. Realising their own patterns is a powerful lever for change.

3. Structured Practice & Peer Feedback

Next, pupils prepare and deliver short presentations, guided by scaffolds (protocols, sentence stems). After the first round, peers (and teachers) provide feedback, emphasising strengths and incremental improvements.

4. Introduction of Sentence Stems & Scaffolds

The framework provides sentence stems and scaffolding tools to guide pupils in structuring their contributions more confidently. Over time, these become internalised, helping students speak more fluently and coherently.

5. Improved Iteration & Reflection

Pupils redo their presentations, applying feedback and scaffolding. This iterative cycle helps them internalise stronger oral habits — improved gestures, language precision, better structure.

6. Cascading to the Whole Class

Once confident, Talk Champions support their classmates. They model good speech practices and prompt others to use protocols, stems, and active listening techniques. Over time, oracy culture becomes embedded broadly across classrooms.

To see this in action, watch our Coaching Oracy video

Why This Coaching Model Works for Oracy Development

1. Metacognitive Awareness
   Pupils become aware of how they speak — their filler words, pacing, gestures — which is the first step to improvement.
2. Deliberate Practice
   Repeated, scaffolded speaking opportunities help internalise more effective speaking habits.
3. Peer Learning & Ownership
   When children are partly responsible for each other’s progress, motivation and accountability grow.
4. Scaffolds Fade Over Time
   Sentence stems and protocols are tools, not crutches. As pupils gain confidence, they rely less on prompts.
5. Sustainable, Scalable Change
   Because the model doesn’t rely solely on the teacher doing all the work, it can scale and persist beyond one year or one cohort.

How Schools Can Implement Focus on Talk Using the Coaching Model

Here’s a suggested roadmap:

Phase	Actions	Tips
Preparation & Buy-In	Introduce the rationale (e.g. speaking underpins writing/reading) and shared oracy language (body language, protocols).	Use staff CPD to align all staff on oracy language.
Select Talk Champions	Choose a small, diverse group of pupils across years/abilities.	Include pupils who may be shy — the model can be particularly empowering for them.
Baseline Recording	Record pupils speaking without scaffolds on a familiar topic.	Avoid heavy judgment — encourage curiosity and discovery in reflection.
Reflective Viewing & Discussion	Watch the recordings with pupils; ask guiding questions (e.g. “What did you notice about pacing?”).	Use a scaffolded reflection sheet for consistency.
First Presentation Cycle	Pupils prepare and deliver short talks.	Provide clear time constraints and remind them of speaking protocols.
Peer & Teacher Feedback	Facilitate structured, positive feedback (what went well + one improvement suggestion).	Model feedback language first.
Introduce Sentence Stems & Scaffolds	Share stems aligned with curricular topics to support structured talk.	Encourage pupils to “trial” a stem rather than “force” it.
Iteration & Improvement	Pupils redo their presentation integrating feedback and stems.	Monitor growth, highlight shifts in gesture, vocabulary, pacing.
Cascading & Embedding	Talk Champions model and prompt oracy in their own classes; teachers embed protocols in day-to-day talk.	Use regular check-ins and mini-refresher coaching sessions.
Review & Celebrate	Capture pupil voice, show “before / after” clips, celebrate champions and progress.	Use videos for school website, parent engagement, or reflection.

Evidence & Credibility

• The Focus on Talk product itself explicitly includes a coaching model component (notably in the KS2 side) as part of its curriculum materials.
• It offers support packages (one-day, twilight training) to help schools implement the framework effectively.
• It is aligned to the belief that many schools do not currently teach spoken language with enough intentionality — a gap Spotlighted in recent educational commentary.

 

“Using Focus on Talk’s coaching model, we began with six Year 4 pupils as Talk Champions. We recorded their first ‘unscaffolded’ talk on a science topic, then brought them together to watch and reflect. One pupil noticed she said ‘like’ nearly 15 times. Over two rounds of scaffolded presentations with sentence stems and peer feedback, we saw marked growth — stronger structure, fewer filler words, and more confident delivery. By term’s end, those six pupils were prompting their classmates to adopt the same protocols. The shift in oral confidence was palpable across classrooms.”

Conclusion

By combining a clear speaking-and-listening curriculum with a coaching-based implementation model, Focus on Talk enables schools not just to teach oracy, but to cultivate a speaking culture. Pupils become both learners and leaders in language — building confidence, fluency, and the ability to articulate complex ideas.

 

Continue the Conversation

Find out more about our Speaking and Listening Curriculum

To book Clive, Alex or one of our other consultants to work with your school, email us at consultancy@focus-education.co.uk

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