The Essex Year of Opportunity:
Fully-funded Events
A collaboration between Oracy for Schools and Essex County Council’s Essex Year of Opportunity, offering you fully-funded access to a range of oracy CPD and student events.
Choose from 21, 21 or 23 April
“Oracy for All” online training, 3.45 - 4.45 p.m.
Oracy is the word on everyone’s lips, but what does it really look like in the classroom? Oracy for All offers your staff a fully funded, practical and high-impact hour of professional development that focuses on key principles which can be applied across all contexts and subjects.
29 April
Help Me Find My Voice CPD + Live Lesson (Primary)
...for primary teachers & SLT hosted by Abacus School, Wickford (nr. Basildon). Get a whole day of training in the core principles to improve oracy in the classroom.
This day is a chance to explore and understand our tried and trusted principles of oracy covered in our book ‘Help Me Find My Voice’. A full day of CPD, which includes a live-lesson observing Jason with a Year 5 class.
June and July: Multiple dates
The Essex Oracy Network Competition 2026
Help your young talkers develop and show-off their oracy skills with the Essex Oracy Network Competition. It’s a chance to shine in using talking to philosophise, debate and improvise!
Year 7&8 Competitions
Choose from 15 or 16 July 2026
Year 5&6 Competition:
Choose from 15, 16 or 17 June 2026
Everything is held online and lasts from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
30 June
Help Me Find My Voice CPD + Live Lesson (Secondary)
...for secondary teachers & SLT hosted at a school tbc. Get a whole day of training in the core principles to improve oracy in the classroom.
This day is a chance to explore and understand our tried and trusted principles of oracy covered in our book ‘Help Me Find My Voice’. A full day of CPD, which includes a live-lesson observing Jason with a Year 7 class.
The day before the demonstration workshop I attended a IAPS course on oracy, so felt I had a very good understanding of the theory behind unlocking children's voices. Watching Tom's workshop the next day I was amazed at how it hit EVERY box that I'd just learnt about. It was brilliant to see practical strategies to help every child find their voice.
Abby Brooks, Kimbolton Prep School
Choose from 21, 21 or 23 April - “Oracy for All” online training, 3.45 - 4.45 p.m.
Oracy is the word on everyone’s lips, but what does it really look like in the classroom? Oracy for All offers your staff a fully funded, practical and high-impact hour of professional development that focuses on key principles which can be applied across all contexts and subjects.
This session is grounded in our tried and trusted principles of oracy covered in our book ‘Help Me Find My Voice’. These include how to engage children who are ‘playground confident, classroom shy’ and the importance of ‘small talk before big talk’, among many others.
We will explore:
why some pupils clam up in classrooms even though they thrive socially, and what we can do about it
strategies that help children warm up to meaningful talk
questions that unlock speech confidence
how to embed oracy techniques into existing curriculum time rather than adding extra workload
This session is full of practical, fun ideas based on our 15 years of working with schools across the UK and internationally. Since 2011, hundreds of schools have trusted us to improve listening, develop independent thinking and help every child find their voice. As part of our collaboration with Essex County Council’s Year of Opportunity, we are delighted to bring the best bits of our in-person training to these online sessions at no cost to your school.
The best way to join is as a group of ten or more colleagues on a single device so you can experience the activities yourselves. You are also welcome to join as an individual.
If you have booked on, you will receive a copy of the ‘Help Me Find My Voice’ minibook to support your oracy work after the session
29 April: Help Me Find My Voice CPD (Primary)
...for primary teachers & SLT hosted by Abacus School, Wickford (nr. Basildon). Get a whole day of training in the core principles to improve oracy in the classroom.
This day is a chance to explore and understand our tried and trusted principles of oracy covered in our book ‘Help Me Find My Voice’. A full day of CPD, which includes a live-lesson observing Jason with a Year 5 class, gives us the chance to explore:
how we can plan activities into our existing curriculum to help everyone bring their playground confidence into the classroom
facilitation techniques applicable to any subject or topic
questions we can embed into any topic that unlock speech confidence
This day is full of practical, fun ideas based on our 15 years of working with schools across the UK and internationally. Since 2011, hundreds of schools have trusted us to improve listening, develop independent thinking and help every child find their voice.
There wikll be plenty time to get under the skin of the core principles of oracy: experiencing activities for ourselves, talking about the theory, and then planning them into our existing curriculum.
Note alternative date and venue tbc. for those who can’t make April 29th.
30th June
Help Me Find My Voice CPD (Secondary)
...for secondary teachers of any subject, oracy champions & SLT hosted by a school in Essex tbc.
Oracy is particularly thorny issue at secondary level, with more factors threatening to inhibit young people from speaking up.
Get a whole day of training in the core principles to improve oracy in the secondary classroom.
This day is a chance to explore and understand our tried and trusted principles of oracy covered in our book ‘Help Me Find My Voice’. A full day of CPD, which includes a live-lesson observing Jason with a Year 7 class, gives us the chance to explore:
how we can plan activities into our existing curriculum to help everyone bring their playground confidence into the classroom
facilitation techniques applicable to any subject or topic
questions we can embed into any topic that unlock speech confidence
This day is full of practical, fun ideas based on our 15 years of working with schools across the UK and internationally. Since 2011, hundreds of schools have trusted us to improve listening, develop independent thinking and help every child find their voice.
There wikll be plenty time to get under the skin of the core principles of oracy: experiencing activities for ourselves, talking about the theory, and then planning them into our existing curriculum.
One of the best parts was when we debated and gave our opinion on each side of the story and who we supported. I also enjoyed it when we split into groups and created a song/dance. I loved how everyone got involved and nobody felt left out. The activities were involving, and the oracy day allowed us to express what we knew on Greek Mythology so far. It was a great day!
Student, Walthamstow School for Girls
Practical stuff
All of the above events are funded by The Essex Year of Opportunity, organised by Essex County Council - nothing costs you or your school a thing.
Registration is free - please just follow the links to a Google Form to register your spot(s) on any of the events.
Some are scheduled but without a venue confirmed yet - for those, please register your interest and we will send you details as soon as they are confirmed. Expressing your interest does not mean you are signing up for anything.
Thanks to Tom’s workshops we saw improved communication skills, enhanced speaking and listening, more respect for what others are saying, deeper thinking about topics being coveredI
Sara Wilson, Assistant Head, Weston Green School
If you would like to find out more about oracy, check our availability, discuss prices or make an appointment to meet someone from our team, please get in touch.
01245 820123
tom@thephilosophyman.com