We need to talk (about maths)

Debbie Morgan, the NCETM’s Director for Primary, and Jane Hawkins, Assistant Director for Secondary, explore the new Oracy Commission Report, ‘We Need to Talk’ and discuss what the report’s recommendations could mean in the maths classroom.

This feature includes input from Abby Cotton, Maths Hub Lead for Boolean Maths Hub and Fin McLaughlin, the NCETM’s Assistant Director for Targeted Support in Mathematics.

Making the case for oracy

Since the publication of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Oracy’s report, Speak for Change in 2021, the topic of oracy in schools has been back on the agenda. The APPG's report highlighted significant gaps in oracy provision within schools and the profound impact these gaps have on social mobility, equity and future opportunities for pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Oracy Education Commission was convened in April 2024, partly as a response to the APPG report to explore the future of oracy education in England. This independent group, which includes commissioners from schools, trusts, employers, the arts and mental health support, published its much-anticipated report on 8 October 2024.

The report places oracy at the heart of learning, giving it the status and recognition it deserves as a cornerstone for almost all learners across every subject. With a clear definition of oracy and practical dimensions for curriculum design, it provides valuable guidance for teachers and school leaders. The NCETM welcomes the report’s insights, which align closely with the principles of teaching for mastery and have the potential, if fully adopted, to transform curriculum and pedagogy at every stage of a child’s education. However, there are specific considerations for maths that we are keen to explore.

Narrowing the attainment gap

In an education landscape still marked by inequity, the Oracy Commission Report highlights a powerful call to action:

‘All pupils should receive an education that helps them enjoy learning and which will serve them well for the rest of their lives.’

Central to this vision is the need for oracy to play a foundational role in closing the disadvantage attainment gap, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The report’s focus on disciplinary oracy—the ability to think, reason and communicate within specific subjects—is especially welcome. Those involved with Maths Hubs professional development will recognise the power of giving all pupils the mathematical language they need to think, reason and articulate their ideas.

'Mathematics teaching for mastery assumes everyone can learn and enjoy mathematics' (NCETM, 2022).

Oracy-rich classrooms have the potential to unlock many holistic benefits. Children are supported to build communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration skills, and to develop both socially and emotionally. Pupils in maths classrooms adopting a teaching for mastery approach, where teachers and pupils ‘inter-think’ — collectively using rich dialogue to co-construct understanding and solve problems — are able to develop and deepen mathematical understanding. 

Research and Innovation Work Groups (RIWGs) on Oracy, led across England through the Maths Hubs Network, have highlighted the transformative power of the oracy-rich, inclusive classroom where every voice matters—especially for pupils from under-resourced backgrounds facing disadvantage. In such environments, pupils not only gain confidence in sharing their mathematical thinking but also learn to appreciate and build on others' ideas. This approach fosters a more connected and coherent understanding of mathematics.

Maths as arithmetic?

The report conveys a sense of maths being equated with ‘arithmetic’, with a suggestion that oracy could be the ‘fourth R’, alongside Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. However, the NCETM would argue that fluency, reasoning and problem-solving in maths require knowledge and skills that extend far beyond arithmetic alone. Reasoning is not only a core mathematical discipline but also a key process for developing a deeper understanding of the subject, whether through independent reflection or collaborative discourse. 

In classrooms where teaching for mastery is embedded, pupils develop mathematical learning behaviours that enable them to engage deeply, reason effectively and make meaningful connections.

A disciplinary approach

The report emphasises the importance of developing oracy across the curriculum. Oracy in a maths classroom involves authentic listening, clear articulation and the ability to develop and express mathematical thinking. It’s an essential skill that supports learning by highlighting mathematical structures and enabling pupils to make meaningful connections (NCETM, 2024). 

Disciplinary skills require rich disciplinary content. If we want pupils to talk mathematically, we need to give them something mathematically worthwhile to talk about.

The teaching for mastery approach emphasises active pupil participation through talk, reasoning and justification. Using a dialogic approach, teachers facilitate dynamic discussions and promote peer-to-peer conversations, ensuring that all pupils engage in purposeful, accountable dialogue. High expectations are set for precise mathematical language, which is explicitly taught alongside opportunities for exploratory talk.

Language in the Early Years

The report highlights that ‘children’s early language experiences are critical to their cognitive development and are powerful predictors of future educational achievement across the curriculum, including mathematics as much as literacy’ (Save the Children, 2011).

The NCETM agrees that developing mathematical language early, in a deep, systematic way, is essential, both to build a firm foundation in maths and to tackle disadvantage from the outset. Teachers delivering Mastering Number at Reception and KS1 have observed that the programme is helping young pupils to develop early mathematical language. For example, stem sentences like ‘2 and 2 make 4… double 2 is 4’ are co-created with the children, becoming a fluent part of their vocabulary and naturally applied in their play.

Oracy and formative assessment

The report mentions the explicit assessment of oracy but places less emphasis on using disciplinary oracy as a tool for formative assessment. The NCETM believes that immersing pupils in an oracy-rich environment—where they think mathematically, co-construct learning, reason, negotiate meaning and evaluate ideas— provides opportunities for assessment of pupils understanding and ability to communicate mathematical ideas. 

Maths oracy professional development

The NCETM strongly supports the report’s recommendation that all teachers should be ‘skilled in using dialogue and discussion to enhance learning in educational phases and subject disciplines, as part of initial teacher training and ongoing teacher development.’ Teachers of maths benefit from understanding the significance of oracy and its role in securing greater equity in education. This motivates them to develop their practice and specific oracy strategies can be a useful tool to support this.

Maths Hubs have found that maths teachers involved in professional development that emphasises oracy are keen to explore how an oracy-rich curriculum and pedagogy can help close the disadvantage attainment gap, creating more inclusive and impactful learning experiences.

Oracy and teaching for mastery in practice

The report features a case study from Summerhill Academy, a 7-11 primary school in Bristol, that is working with oracy education charity, Voice 21, to develop oracy across the school whilst also partnering with their local Maths Hub, Boolean, to embed a teaching for mastery approach.

The school has found that oracy and a teaching for mastery approach to maths are a natural fit, complementing each other to enhance students' mathematical understanding and learning. As Summerhill’s Year 6 teacher explained, ‘It’s the way that children communicate… demonstrating their understanding of maths and critically talking about what they are doing and reasoning.’

A call to action: placing oracy at the heart of the curriculum

Making the Oracy Commission Report’s recommendations could significantly enhance pupils’ enjoyment of maths, improve outcomes and help tackle inequity and disadvantage. However, developing and embedding oracy in the curriculum will take commitment by teachers, schools and policymakers. We would argue that there is no better time to finally harness the transformative power of oracy for all children in our schools.

Visit our Oracy webpage to find a curated selection of our most useful features, podcasts and resources on oracy. Read our feature to find out more about Research and Innovation Work Groups.