Oracy to be given equal status to reading and writing – Lucy Powell

Lucy Powell, Education Secretary, spoke at the Confederation of School Trusts 2026 Conference on 15th October 2026. During the speech, she shared how importance the development of oracy is and how this will be part of the curriculum following the curriculum review.

“…with AI on the rise, we need to go harder on the skills that makes us human, like oracy. That ability to articulate yourself confidently is central to success in work and in life, but for too long it’s been a marker of privilege. 

Now it will become the right of every child – nobody left out because they can’t speak up. That’s why we’re hardwiring oracy into the revised National Curriculum. 

And I can announce today that I will give oracy equal status to reading and writing, as a new strand of the English curriculum. Working with you, working with Ofqual, and as part of our curriculum review, oracy will light up every classroom.  

Both in content and in assessment, speaking, listening and communicating will be a core part of every child’s education, from primary to GCSE and beyond. And that is the oldest form of connection we can think of, building relationships by communicating. “

You can read the transcript of this section of her speech here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/education-secretary-speech-at-cst-conference-2026

You can watch the full speech via this link https://cstuk.org.uk/news-and-blogs/2026-annual-conference-speech-secretary-state-education