Oracy And Beyond

"We have many children in our schools who also still do really worry about whether they're going to get it right or not. And that stops them from volunteering to talk. Which is why I'm really interested in other systems which are not just about waiting for volunteers or asking for volunteers." - Topsy Page

Topsy Page is an Oracy Cambridge Associate and the author of "Oracy: 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers" and co-author of "Oracy: 100 Ideas for Secondary Teachers".

In this episode Topsy shares thoughts from her Philosophy for Children approach to Oracy and the effect it has had on the children she has worked with.

You'll hear how:

• Children became so engrossed in communicating with each other in lessons that they didn't want to leave at breaktime.
• Encouraging children to expand on their thoughts with a positive "Yes and..." approach can create a new belief in themselves.
• We are moving from the Victorian methods of learning, but it's a slow turning tanker rather than a rapid 360. (But we're getting there.)

You can get Topsy's books from her website: TopsyPage.com

And click here to read more about the charity she works with - Thoughtful.

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Oracy And Beyond is hosted by me, Al Booth.

If you're organising a conference, summit or live event and need a host, panel moderator or interviewer, I'd love to help.

I'm a broadcaster with more than 25 years' experience across BBC and commercial radio and television. I'm also a live event host and a podcast producer.

I mix the curiosity of a storyteller with the instincts of an interviewer, all to help people connect.

You can find out more at AlBooth.co.uk

Or connect with me on LinkedIn at the Oracy And Beyond page.

"A student was excluded from a mainstream school in Coventry. He did display very challenging behaviour in the community as well. And we use the music studio a lot. So he started writing song lyrics, then he used these to construct his prose. And he's performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company in a short version of Midsummer Night's Dream. He's written the rap and he's also just done his English speaking board level two exam." - Sharon Gray

Sharon Gray has the title of Head of English at the Alternative Provision she teaches at in Warwickshire.

After listening to her passion and her creative ways for engaging with young people who hadn't previously had a sense of connection, Sharon Gray should hold the title of Head of English FOR THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD.

In this very inspiring episode, Sharon discusses:

• How oracy is with is from the very start of life to the very end.
• How human connection can give hope to young people who didn't feel heard before.
• How creativity with visuals leads to greater communication skills in written work.

And how students from her AP have been working with The Royal Shakespeare Company on a 2026 version of Shakespeare's classics that speak to young people.

Speaking of which you absolutely need to hear an example of that:

Here are students with their re-worked rap for Romeo & Juliet.

Find out more about the work Sharon does at the Coventry Academy and how she has garnered the support of Ed Sheeran - here.

Sharon Gray LinkedIn

If you'd like to be on the show you can find out more at OracyAndBeyond.com

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Hello, I'm Al Booth. I'm the host of Oracy And Beyond.

I'm also a broadcaster with over 25+ years' experience in BBC and commercial radio & TV, a podcast producer, and a live event and conference host.

And before any of that I was a shy and unconfident child who wanted to grow up to be a radio presenter but just didn't have the confidence.

If you'd like to work with me - whether that's to host your conference, moderate a panel, or create a podcast - you can find me in these following places.

Website: AlBooth.co.uk

LinkedIn: Al Booth

"Oracy isn't just about learning to talk, it's about learning through talk. It's about building those cognitive foundations for everything else." - Tracie Butterfill, National Lead Early Years and Families @ Twinkl

This conversation had me wishing I could rewind with my children and start again.

Tracie talks about how we should instruct instead of ask. Say "Thank You" instead of "Please".

That alone would have saved hours of getting shoes on time over the years!

Tracie highlights that oracy isn't just about learning to talk; it’s about learning through talk. It serves as the cognitive foundation for everything else, leveling the playing field before formal education even begins.

• Receptive Language: Babies start by taking in all the information around them.
• Non-Verbal Cues: Communication begins through facial expressions and eye contact.
• The Pointing Phase: Children use gestures and simple utterances to label their world (e.g., "daddy," "car," "bottle").
• Vocabulary Bursts: Interest-based learning—like memorising every dinosaur name—fuels an explosion in vocabulary.

The conversation emphasises that oracy is a primary area of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), alongside physical and personal-social development.

• Social Mobility: Strong communication skills allow children from all backgrounds to advocate for themselves and engage with their peers.
• The "Buzz" of Learning: A healthy early years setting is never silent; it’s filled with the "buzz" of child-led discussion and interaction.
• Impact of COVID-19: Lockdown limited social networks, depriving many "only children" or eldest siblings of peer role models to mimic and learn from.

For children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), specifically autistic children, oracy requires a literal approach to reduce anxiety.

As with every episode, we have a guest from the previous show.

Eric Chamberlin asked: If we add oracy to the curriculum, must we take away from literacy or numeracy?

Tracie argues that they should stand equally. Because the brain develops most rapidly in the first 1,000 days, getting "the talk" right early on makes later literacy and numeracy much easier to grasp.

How do you think we can better support parents in busy households to prioritize "learning through talk" during everyday routines?

You can connect with Tracie Butterfill on LinkedIn here

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Hello — I’m Al Booth, host of Oracy And Beyond, broadcaster, live host and panel moderator, and podcast producer

I created this podcast to explore how young people can develop confidence, self-worth and communication skills through oracy.

I’m not an oracy expert. I’m just a former shy child who found his voice.

I've been there and I am fascinated how we can help other young people find their voice.

For me, that's through podcasting and workshops.

If this episode sparked ideas for your setting, I’d love to continue the conversation and explore how we might work together.

If you are looking for a host for your next conference, want to look into podcasting, or would like to discuss my oracy-led podcast workshop for schools, let's have a chat.

Email Me [email protected]

Connect on LinkedIn

Learn more: OracyAndBeyond.com

Thank you for listening. I look forward to chatting with you.

"In today's world, far too much communication is happening digitally. We've lost that ability to speak and to listen and to understand each other. Getting us back to being able to speak to each other is one of the beautiful parts of Oracy." - Eric Chamberlin

Eric Chamberlin is a teacher-turned-tech genius. He has created not one but TWO apps that promote speaking, listening, and confidence-building across classrooms.

Yes. Eric is responsible for the above quote AND has developed digital apps too.

In this episode you'll hear:

• About the development of apps that revolutionise assessment practices, from language learning to oral exams.
• How technology can reduce teacher workload and improve student feedback.
• Ethical considerations of AI technology in learning environments

It's a fascinating look at how technology can take young people away from the pressure of the classroom whilst allowing them to thrive in it.

Find out more about Eric's apps here:

Say Veritas: Students learn through speaking—daily snapshot, weekly formative checks, and secure oral assessments. Track National Curriculum coverage automatically. Generate evidence for Ofsted in minutes.

PhonemeLab: The app created by Eric as a way for him to ease the pressure on his wife's teacher workload.

Eric Chamberlin on LinkedIn

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Hello, I'm Al Booth, host of Oracy and Beyond.

I'm a broadcaster, conference host, and podcast producer with more than 25 years across BBC and commercial radio and television.

Today I work with schools, education organisations, and companies who want to create confident conversations — hosting conferences and panel discussions, producing podcasts, and helping leaders speak with authenticity and confidence.

Organisations typically work with me to:

• host conferences and panel discussions
• launch and produce podcasts
• coach speakers and leaders to communicate clearly and with confidence

Planning an event, launching a podcast, or exploring how to develop oracy across your organisation?

Learn more or get in touch: albooth.co.uk Or find me on LinkedIn

I started Oracy and Beyond to explore how speaking, listening, and storytelling help young people build confidence, self-worth, and opportunity.

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If you've enjoyed this episode and want to continue the conversation, head over to the Oracy And Beyond page on LinkedIn.

"Speech and language is coordination, but also your whole body movement is coordination. So, if children are learning vocabulary through something they're experiencing - they're learning the word hop, but they're actually hopping at the same time - there's much more for them to hook that word onto." - Helen Guntrip

My guest is Helen Guntrip, speech and language therapist, founder of Talk and Move, and someone who has spent 23 years watching children find (and lose, and find again) their voices.

She's recently been recognised with the Montessori Global Award. Which makes total sense after having spoken with her.

The more episodes of Oracy And Beyond I host, the more I learn... and become even more curious about in terms of where Oracy lives.

Helen explains why performance anxiety is a physical thing, not a mindset problem and shares why movement isn't just good for children's bodies, but can also help develop spoke communication.

In this episode Helen talks about:

• How the brain responds to the pressure of speaking out loud
• What "embodied learning" actually means — and why it changes vocabulary retention
• Celebrating non-verbal and sign communication on equal terms with speech
• What adults get wrong about children's communication — and how to shift that

Timestamps:

• 00:00 — How microphones can encourage shy children to speak
• 01:12 — Using audio recording with children who have mutism
• 02:53 — The brain's response to speaking under pressure
• 03:10 — Deadlines, dopamine, and where confidence comes from
• 07:54 — Why oral language development in early years matters so much
• 11:15 — Helen's route from speech therapy to movement-based programmes
• 12:16 — What embodied learning looks like in practice
• 14:00 — Supporting emotional regulation and expressive freedom
• 18:32 — Why movement helps vocabulary stick
• 20:10 — Movement as a tool for reducing anxiety
• 23:34 — Calm, active, and balancing movements in the classroom
• 25:24 — Helping children with anxiety at the start of school
• 30:19 — Practical emotional regulation during school routines
• 34:38 — Communication beyond spoken words
• 39:40 — Celebrating non-verbal and sign communication
• 42:39 — Behaviour as communication — and what's behind it
• 45:08 — How adult expectations shape children's communication
• 48:04 — Confidence, connection, and regulation as the foundations of oracy
• 49:28 — Helen's Montessori Global Award

Find out more about Helen's work:

Talk and Move here.

Helen on LinkedIn here.

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I'm Al Booth, host of Oracy and Beyond — a broadcaster, conference host, and podcast producer with more than 25 years across BBC and commercial radio and television.

Today I work with schools, education organisations, and companies who want to create confident conversations — hosting conferences and panel discussions, producing podcasts, and helping leaders find the words that actually land.

Organisations typically work with me to:

• host conferences and panel discussions
• launch and produce podcasts
• coach speakers and leaders to communicate clearly and with confidence

Planning an event, launching a podcast, or exploring how to develop oracy across your organisation?

Learn more or get in touch: albooth.co.uk Or find me on LinkedIn

I started Oracy and Beyond to explore how speaking, listening, and storytelling help young people build confidence, self-worth, and opportunity.

Before you go — a question from my next guest:

Do you think confidence is the foundation of oracy?

Leave a comment, drop me a message, or come back next episode to find out what they think.

Being a child with a head full of ideas and suggestions but lacking the confidence or ability to share it with peers is a terrible feeling. This episode's guest knows that all too well.

Veronique Trang went from being a shy child to the CEO of a tech company that has created a podcast app to help young people grow their own communication skills.

And, ultimately, their own self-worth.

Telmi came about from Veronique's own experiences and her belief that practice makes progress.

In this epsiode she talks about:

• How Veronique’s childhood experience inspired the creation of TelMi

• Why practicing speaking is essential for building confidence and voice

• How podcasting can become a powerful tool for developing oracy in schools

And she shares some wonderful stories of how children have found their voice through podcasting.

You can find out more about Telmi at the official website. Just click here.

If you're an Oracy lead, Veronique is looking forward to talking to you to see how Telmi can benefit your classroom.

You can contact Veronique on her LinkedIn page.

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I'm Al Booth, the host of Oracy and Beyond. I'm a broadcaster, conference host, and podcast producer with more than 25 years’ experience across BBC and commercial radio and television.

Today I work with schools, education organisations, and companies who want to create confident conversations — hosting conferences and panel discussions, producing podcasts, and helping leaders communicate their ideas with clarity and confidence.

I host and moderate discussions at education and on-stage events and love helping conferences create thoughtful, energetic conversations that audiences remember long after the session ends.

I started Oracy and Beyond to explore how speaking, listening, and storytelling can help young people build confidence, self-worth, and opportunity.

Organisations typically work with me to:

• host conferences and panel discussions

• launch and produce podcasts

• coach speakers and leaders to communicate clearly and confidently

Planning an event, launching a podcast, or exploring how to develop oracy across your organisation?

Learn more or get in touch: albooth.co.uk

Or contact me on LinkedIn

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"Oracy has a power for social mobility and opportunities for those that maybe don't have the language in their upbringing. That's not to say that oracy is gonna solve all of the problems in society, but as educators, it's a real tool that I think we can equip our children with." - Michael Gardner

Michael Gardner is the founder of "The Oracy Shift" and author of the recently published book "Voices of Opportunity", as well as being a teacher and learning lead at The Maritime Academy Trust.

In this episode Michael shares his beliefs that social mobility can be achieved through oracy through purposeful, deliberate practice in listening, questioning, challenging ideas, and building on others' contributions.

Michael talks about:

• How Oracy Reconnects Teachers with the Core Purpose of Teaching: Meaningful Human Interaction.
• In the Age of AI, Oracy is the Uniquely Human Element of Education that Technology Cannot Replace.
• How Oracy allows introverted people to be able to communicate and share ideas with others with confidence.

Michael Gardner's book "Voices of Opportunity" is published by Routledge and is available to buy using this link.

You can find out more about The Oracy Shift at TheOracyShift.co.uk

Connect with him on LinkedIn on his profile which is... here.

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Hello — I’m Al Booth, host of Oracy And Beyond, broadcaster, conference host and panel moderator.

I created this podcast to explore how young people can develop confidence, self-worth and communication skills through oracy.

I’m not an oracy expert — I’m a former shy child who found his voice, and I’m curious about how conversation can create equity for young people.

And I am curious to find out how I can use my experience and skills to help young people express themselves and create equity through oracy.

If this episode sparked ideas for your setting, I’d love to continue the conversation and explore how we might work together.

You’re very welcome to reach out — even if you’re simply exploring ideas.

Email Me

Connect on LinkedIn

Learn more: OracyAndBeyond.com

Thank you for listening. I look forward to chatting with you.

"To me, oracy is life. We are animals from time beyond. If we've been evolved to communicate, we need to communicate to survive. So, it's life, isn't it?" - Shilpa Jamieson

Shilpa Jamieson is family coach, a speaker, and an author. Her work centres around human connection, particularly in families and with young people at the heart of it all.

In this episode Shilpa chats about:

1. How children can hold on to a sense of self when their world is increasingly filled with outside pressures from A.I. and social media.
2. Why teaching her 4 pillars - self-knowledge, self-trust, self-worth, and connection - can help children express themselves amongst their peers and within their families.
3. How a recipe for cake can help young people bake themselves a metaphor for happiness.
4. How she teaches "communicate your emotion, don't be your emotion" to take ownership of their feelings rather than blaming others.

This episode was recorded before, and is being released at the end of Children's Mental Health Week. In light of that, Shilpa has recorded a masterclass which you can find at her website.

To find out more about Shilpa and her wonderful work, please follow the final links:

Free masterclass on 2 minute moments to build kids’ mental health - for Children’s mental health week - sign up link here.

https://www.mindsetmimiandme.com/2-minute-moments

Shilpa's Books and membership - www.mindsetmimiandme.com/what-we-offer

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mindset_mimi_and_me/

Linked in - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shilpaj-mindset-mimi-and-me/

Pebble finds his pace https://mindsetmimiandme.thrivecart.com/pebble-finds-his-pace/

Shilpa's community membership (Mindset & US)

https://mindsetmimiandme.thrivecart.com/raise-emotionally-strong-kids/

You can also find Shilpa on LInkedIn right about... here!

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Hello. I'm Al Booth. I am the host and creator of Oracy And Beyond.

With more than 25 years in commercial and BBC radio and TV, I am available as a conference host, panel moderator and oracy workshop facilitator for schools and trusts.

You can find me at AlBooth.co.uk

Or connect with me on LinkedIn.

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If you'd like to be a guest on the show, drop me an email at: [email protected]

"Oracy is like air because it's all around us. It's for everybody." - Hanna Beech

In this episode Hanna Beech discusses how oracy is like air: essential and omnipresent.

She talks about its role in fostering communication skills, personal development, and community connection.

We look at the importance of implementing oracy in schools, the importance of capability, opportunity, and motivation.

Hanna talks about:

1. Listening to the oracy that takes place all around us from Year 1s talking about Australia to school committees wanting bouncy castles.
2. She talks about how oracy brought her younger self to a place of confidence and calm.
3. The fun you can have implementing oracy both for adults and students.

As well as being a Regional Lead Practitioner and SCITT Programme Lead, Hanna is the author of 60-Second CPD: 239 ideas for busy teachers. (You can get her book here. )

Find Hanna on LinkedIn here.

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Hello, I'm Al. I'm the host of Oracy And Beyond, as well as a presenter, panel moderator and live event host.

Connect with me on LinkedIn here.

Or see me at my website: AlBooth.co.uk

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If you'd like to be a guest on the show, please drop me a line at: [email protected]

"Teachers spend their whole life using their voice, so supporting teachers, not just in terms of how they teach oracy, but also in their own Orocy skills is very important." - Georgie Ross

As Oracy Coach at the English-Speaking Union Georgie Ross travels the world teaching and coaching in international settings to help people master the art of public speaking.

And in this episode of Oracy And Beyond, she offers solutions to the fact that teachers are tasked with teaching using oracy learning methods, often without having training in how to communicate.

Georgie talks about:

1. Helping classroom leaders understand the importance of the pause. (As a broadcaster of 25+ years I would gift everyone who has to speak publicly the gift of owning the pause. Bathe in it; it's frightening at first... but it gives power to your words.)
2. 
   
3. How Oracy learning and effective communication is crucial in an AI-driven world.
4. 
   
5. The moment entering a speaking competition when she was a shy child gave her a new level of confidence, and led her to helping others.

Georgie also talks about how Oracy is used effectively in working with others in countries outside of the UK, particularly in the Middle East.

You can find Georgie on LinkedIn by clicking this very link.

You can find out more about The English-Speaking Union by clicking right here.

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Hello, I'm Al Booth. I am a broadcaster, event host, panel moderator, and podcast producer. (The freelance hat is wide and many-brimmed.)

Formerly a shy, unconfident child, I learned about Oracy after hosting a podcast workshop at my son's school... and fell down a rabbit hole.

Oracy is my passion, and speaking to like-minded experts on this podcast helps spread the word. (Is that a pun? It feels like it's teetering on a pun. Excuse it, if it is.)

If you would like to be on the show, please email me: [email protected]

You can also follow the podcast on LinkedIn. I have called the page... Oracy And Beyond.

Or you can visit the website to see past episodes and to anticipate the blog that I fully intend to start writing... Again, it goes by the name Oracy And Beyond (with a .com at the end.)

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If you would like to talk to me about hosting an event or moderating a panel for you, or if you'd like to just say "Hello" because it's good to talk, please find at on LinkedIn/AlBooth

Thanks for being here. I hope you enjoy the show.