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topsypage.bsky.social
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@topsypage.bsky.social
Talk/Oracy and Philosophy for Children. Oracy Cambridge Associate. Former AHT and Y6 teacher. Helping all children to become confident, thinking communicators.
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My book, Oracy: 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers, is now available. I’m delighted that the reviews recognise it's practical, rigorous and rooted in research. If you’ve been looking for a concise guide to implementing oracy in the classroom, here it is! bit.ly/100IdeasOrac...
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“We recommend that the Government introduce an oracy framework to support practice and to complement the existing frameworks for reading and writing.” (Curriculum and Assessment Review, p.79) 🎉 🎉 🎉

It’s an exciting time for oracy in education...
IMPLEMENTING ORACY: INCLUSION, ASSESSMENT, IMPACT - ORACY CAMBRIDGE
Jan to Jun 2026: Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge and online     This six-session professional learning programme is designed for school leaders, oracy leads and classroom teachers who want to imp...
oracycambridge.org
November 6, 2025 at 6:59 PM
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We welcome the government’s plan to introduce a national oracy framework – a major step towards giving spoken language its rightful place in education.

We look forward to working with the @departmentforedu.bsky.social to support its careful implementation and bring about lasting change.
November 5, 2025 at 8:07 AM
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📚 BOOK GIVEAWAY! 📚

These books underpin the Implementing Oracy programme, running Jan–Jun 2026 at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge. Find out more 👉 oracycambridge.org/implementing...

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October 25, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Children notice the impact of an oracy education.
October 19, 2025 at 10:38 AM
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This six-session professional learning programme, to run from Jan-June 2026, is designed for school leaders, oracy leads and classroom teachers who want to implement #oracy with clarity and confidence.

To secure your place, click the link below, fill out your details and we’ll be in touch.
October 6, 2025 at 11:20 AM
September 12, 2025 at 2:08 PM
For those of you who have not yet experienced the joy and wonder of Philosophy for Children:
I'm running a Level 1 training course in London on Tuesday 30th September & Wednesday 1st October for Thoughtful (SAPERE) - the P4C charity.
www.sapere.org.uk/our-courses/...
Course ID 8061
#P4C #oracy
July 15, 2025 at 10:44 AM
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Good TES interview with #oracy guru Prof Neil Mercer:
‘In 2023 Sir Keir Starmer pledged that the Labour Party would weave oracy through the curriculum. Yet when the interim report was published, oracy was not mentioned at all. So, is Labour really serious about change?’ www.tes.com/magazine/ana...
Neil Mercer: 'Oracy is still not properly understood'
The Cambridge academic talks about the 'conspiracy theory' of why, despite all the evidence, oracy is yet to be introduced into the curriculum, and whether the Labour government will make the change
www.tes.com
May 28, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Brilliant new book out by Neil Mercer.
#oracy
May 22, 2025 at 1:11 PM
11 year-old's response to my question: Does talking help with learning?
#oracy
April 10, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Lovely to see children engaged in the daily thinking question written on the table as part of 'Chat & Play' - how all children start the day at this school.
#oracy
#P4C
April 10, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Thinking time is a critical aspect of developing oracy. Love this part of a whole-school 'talk promise' at a school I recently visited.
#oracy
#thinkingtime
April 7, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Love these collaborative talk prompts which I saw being used so effectively in a Y6 classroom last week.
#oracy
April 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
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The one, the only, Stephen Fry giving our friends at SAPERE a shout out: they are now called 'Thoughtful' & promote #philosophy in #schools & the community #P4C #philsky #academicsky #philosophymatters

youtu.be/ykpkQUpg4Ns
We are Thoughtful
YouTube video by SAPERE
youtu.be
March 18, 2025 at 8:36 PM
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Calling all Early Years practitioners: our Extend P4C- Early Years module is available to book now! The session is online on Tuesday 10th June 16:00-17:30pm. Visit our website to book your place:
www.sapere.org.uk
April 2, 2025 at 9:00 AM
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We are THOUGHTFUL - the charity for P4C (new name for SAPERE). 4 decades and still going strong #p4c #philosophymatters
Yesterday was the beginning of British Philosophy Fortnight, and we held an event to make a special announcement, and to celebrate the work going on in our schools - showing people why #PhilosophyMatters and why we all need to be Thoughtful:
We are Thoughtful
youtu.be
March 19, 2025 at 10:00 PM
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This FREE guide to teaching oracy at secondary is excellent. A truly impressive range of researchers, leaders and practitioners with practical, evidence based ways forward. Will share widely! Thankyou SecEd www.sec-ed.co.uk/content/down...
A SecEd best practice guide to teaching oracy in schools - SecEd
This free guide offers ideas, advice and case studies for teaching oracy skills in the secondary school classroom
www.sec-ed.co.uk
April 1, 2025 at 6:11 PM
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If you only read one @seced.bsky.social article this week: It has to be our free 21-page guide to #oracy #teaching with great contributions from @voice21oracy.bsky.social – Oracy Cambridge – @realgeoffbarton.bsky.social@amygaunt.bsky.social@mattbromley.bsky.social & many more buff.ly/DD8CL5j
March 27, 2025 at 8:47 AM
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We've spent the best part of a year exploring assessment in school. We've overhauled our reporting systems, built in moderation processes and undertaken peer observation cycles. The key finding in it all is that great formative assessment depends on good oracy.
April 1, 2025 at 6:28 PM
My latest blog about participation in classroom talk. I'm thinking a lot about this at the moment. www.topsypage.com/blog/2025/1/...
How can I get everyone to join in? Part 2 - Topsy Page
My top three strategies to make sure every pupil speaks during whole-class learning
www.topsypage.com
February 2, 2025 at 8:39 PM
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Delighted that the @oracycommission.bsky.social is now on BlueSky. Here’s their thread on the work of the Commision in 2024, and where #oracy education may go in 2025 …
Last year, lots of us were talking about #oracy. Here’s a quick retrospective:

Oracy isn’t new. A useful discussion of what oracy means and why it matters to children’s learning and personal development is here, via our ‘Speaking Volumes’ papers:

oracyeducationcommission.co.uk/wp-content/u...
January 11, 2025 at 7:43 AM