Strengthening Oracy in Schools: How Young People Feel About Speaking and Listening

Talk The Talk

Practical speaking and listening opportunities ‘decline sharply’ as students transition into early secondary school, according to new research from the National Literacy Trust.

The report ‘Children and young people’s speaking and listening in 2025’ provides timely insight into how young people perceive their speaking and listening skills in schools, and at a pivotal time when the Government’s November 2025 Curriculum and Assessment Review recommends the introduction of an oracy framework to support greater consistency of oracy opportunities within the national curriculum.

The National Literacy Trust surveyed more than 105,000 young people aged 8-18 as part of its 2025 Annual Literacy Survey, with a specific focus on how young people self-perceive their speaking and listening skills.

Research Findings

Classroom communication gaps:

While more than 60% of young people reported feeling confident asking questions, fewer than half felt comfortable speaking up in class or delivering presentations. And just 40% felt confident speaking in front of an audience.

Early secondary dip:

Although overall speaking and listening self-perceived ability trends upwards with age, confidence tends to decline around the transition to secondary school. Presentation confidence drops notably in the early secondary phase, at ages 11 to 14, before rebounding later by the ages of 16 to 18.

Inequities in confidence:

The report also highlights differences by gender and socioeconomic background. Boys and pupils from more advantaged backgrounds (non-FSM) were more likely to rate their oracy skills positively when compared to girls and pupils from disadvantaged (FSM) backgrounds

Insight For Schools

The wider report offers valuable detail for educators seeking to understand how young people’s confidence in speaking and listening develops over time. The research reinforces a growing consensus: while pupils may manage day-to-day communication through informal interactions, many benefit from structured, purposeful opportunities to practise formal speaking skills such as speaking in front of an audience, presentations and debating.

Turning Insight Into Impact

At Talk The Talk, we see many of these themes play out in classrooms every day. Our oracy workshops are designed to help young people build confidence, clarity and competence in spoken communication, from asking questions, understanding key visual, vocal and verbal communication skills through to structuring their ideas to present with poise and purpose.

To find out more about how Talk The Talk could support the young people or teaching staff in your school or organisation, please do get in touch with us at info@talkthetalkuk.org or via our contact page on our website here .

Talk The Talk

You can view the full Report on the National Literacy Trust’s website.

Link here: Children and young people’s speaking and listening in 2025

Categories: Uncategorised