We believe speaking and listening to be fundamental to the achievement of the children at St Oswald’s C.E. Primary School through all activities that go on in the classroom and other learning environments: the taught curriculum, the hidden curriculum, playtimes and lunchtimes, extracurricular activities and the whole ethos of the school. Respectful and productive relationships between all who form part of the school community are crucial aspects of this ethos. As a staff, we therefore foster good communication amongst ourselves and with our pupils, their parents and carers, and with the wider community. We place a high priority on supporting the development of good speaking and listening skills amongst our pupils.

It is our intent that children should become fluent and confident communicators, increasingly matching their style and responses to their purpose and audience. The skills of speaking and listening are therefore included in the key expectations for each phase.

Children should:

· Be encouraged to speak with confidence, clarity and fluency

· Recognise the value of listening

· Be encouraged to have the self-esteem to be confident in the value of their own opinions and to be able to express them to others

· Be able to adapt the use of language for a range of different purposed and audiences, including using Standard English

· Learn to converse, sustain a logical argument and respond to others appropriately

· Be encouraged to concentrate, interpret and respond appropriately to a wide range of listening experiences

· Be prepared to be open-minded, to value the contribution of others and to take account of their views

· Appreciate the diversity of languages, dialects and accents in the school and value the experience and contributions of children with a wide variety of linguistic backgrounds

· Develop empathy