Speaking and Listening is an area that permeates within all parts of the curriculum, and is the fundamental foundation upon which English teaching and learning is based.   At St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that it is only when Speaking and Listening skills have been developed, that children can effectively work co-operatively and collaboratively in their school life and into the future.  Our pupils are given every opportunity to practise these skills through class discussion, group work and paired conversations. They are conducted in a safe and stimulating environment and the staff in our school model the use of higher-level vocabulary within their speech and expanding children’s vocabulary is a key focus from EYFS.

Pupils are encouraged and guided on how to value their own personnel views and that of others, reflect on how their views and opinions could be received and how to communicate effectively. Throughout the curriculum, specific vocabulary is promoted and embedded by adults who consistently model in context.  Pupils are given the opportunity to understand new words, use them effectively in speaking and then transfer to recorded work. 

Statement of Intent

At St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, the aim of teaching English is to ensure that our children both enjoy and effectively practise the skills of reading, writing and speaking and listening.  This is to enable and prompt our children to become literate and to be able to communicate effectively in the ever changing world around them.   
Our pupils will be given different opportunities to interrelate the requirements of English within a broad and balanced approach to the teaching of English across the curriculum, with guidance and support to consolidate and reinforce taught literacy skills.  Statutory requirements for the teaching and learning of English are laid out in the National Curriculum English Document (2014) and in the Communication, Language and Literacy section of the Early Years Framework. 
We want our pupils to be confident, articulate and inspiring speakers and listeners. Spoken language underpins the development of reading and writing. The quality and variety of language that pupils hear are vital for developing their vocabulary and grammar and their understanding for reading and writing.  Speaking and listening skills are an essential part of our ever changing world, whereby communication is consistently evolving and is an area whereby pupils need to be able to converse clearly and comprehend what they hear. 

Implementation 

The cross curriculum approach at St Mary’s enables children to develop their essential speaking and listening skills, as we recognise that the teaching of these skills are not exclusive to the English lessons.  Our whole school approach to the children’s development are recognised and provided as follows:   

• Regular opportunities for children to voice their opinions with talk-partners, in small groups and in whole-class situations.  
• Developing the ability to take turns and to listen to others.  
• Opportunities for pupils to articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions, give wellstructured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes.  
• Listening and responding to a variety of different texts including stories, poetry and non-fiction texts (taught through foundation subjects).  
• Teaching children to articulate thoughts and feelings of characters in books they read, and the situations they may have experienced.  
• Planning opportunities for children to take part in role-play, drama activities, discussion, hot-seating and school performances.  
• Encouraging children to speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English.  

All staff are to model the correct pronunciation of words and where required discreetly model corrections for pupils where necessary.  

Impact

Formative assessment is consistently ongoing by the class teacher (and other adults) through the daily teaching sessions whereby misconceptions can be addressed accordingly.  Regular summative assessment of reading and writing task will incorporate moderation of the speaking and listing skills.