Lostwithiel School Named a National Oracy Centre of Excellence

Out of more than 1,200 schools working with one education charity, only two in the south west have earned its highest award. One of them is Lostwithiel School.

Voice 21, a leading education charity, has named the school a national Oracy Centre of Excellence, recognising its work to tackle the communication challenges facing children growing up in the screen age. The title celebrates outstanding work in helping pupils develop their speaking, listening and communication skills.

The fourth R

Oracy sits alongside reading, writing and arithmetic and is often called the fourth R. The reason is simple. Speaking and listening well shapes a young person’s ability to build strong relationships and to do well at school and long after they leave it.

Evidence suggests those skills are eroding in the screen age. Faced with rising mental health concerns and growing communication needs among young people, the leadership team at Lostwithiel School decided to act. Oracy now runs through every part of school life, from the school’s vision and values to its culture and curriculum.

That whole-school approach earned the award. Voice 21 chose Lostwithiel from a list of 1,200 candidate schools, and it becomes only the second school in the south west to hold the title.

Why oracy, and why now

National concern about children’s screen use reached a new point when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a social media ban for under-16s, set to come into force in Spring 2027.

A ban is not the whole answer. In 2024 the Oracy Education Commission published a report, We need to talk, urging education leaders to treat oracy as the fourth R of modern schooling. That report fed into the government’s review of the national curriculum.

Dr Kate Paradine, CEO of Voice 21, said:

“The Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence award certifies and celebrates schools that are changing the face of education. Lostwithiel School has demonstrated the quality of oracy education being provided across five areas of school life: their school’s vision, culture, curriculum, learning and impact on students.

This whole school approach is at the heart of what it means to offer high-quality oracy education, which will enable every child to use their voice to thrive in school, work and life.”

What it looks like at Lostwithiel

Elaine Badger, Headteacher at Lostwithiel School, said:

“While technology brings many benefits, it can also mean that children have fewer opportunities to develop the spoken communication and social skills that previous generations learned naturally through everyday interactions.

We have embraced oracy because we want our children to leave Lostwithiel School as confident, articulate young people who know how to socialise, listen, collaborate, present their ideas and engage positively with the world around them.”

The school pairs its oracy work with time outdoors. Every child takes part in at least one Forest School session each week in the school’s woodland grounds, protected as a fixed part of the curriculum. That runs from the two-year-olds in the Tiny Trees Nursery all the way up to Year 6.

Elaine Badger commented:

“One of the aspects that makes Lostwithiel School so special is the opportunity for children to learn and grow in the natural environment.

From 2-year-olds in our Tiny Trees Nursery, all the way through to Year 6, every pupil takes part in weekly Forest School sessions, giving them valuable time in nature which is scientifically proven to support their wellbeing.

We know that families are looking for more than just academic success for their children. They want them to be happy and well-rounded individuals. Twinned with our work on Oracy, our Forest School provision is another key part of delivering that holistic education.”

Lostwithiel School is part of Cornwall Education Learning Trust, a group of 16 schools across mid-Cornwall. The school is now waiting on the result of a recent Ofsted inspection, expected in the coming weeks.