Confident communication is at the heart of learning. At Bawnmore, we know that speaking and listening underpin success in reading, writing, and every area of the curriculum. From the very start, children are given rich opportunities to develop verbal skills, broaden vocabulary, listen carefully, and express themselves clearly.

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Curriculum

Our speaking and listening curriculum is ambitious, inclusive, and carefully planned across all year groups. A golden thread runs through everything we do—strong relationships, emotional wellbeing, and a sense of belonging—because we know these are essential for confident communication.

We aim for children to:

• Speak clearly and confidently to a range of audiences
• Listen attentively and respond appropriately
• Express ideas, feelings, and opinions using a rich and varied vocabulary
• Build positive relationships through effective communication

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Teaching

Speaking and listening are embedded throughout the curriculum. Our approach includes:

• Class discussions, talk partners, debates, drama, role play, and performance
• Teachers modelling high-quality language and sentence structures
• Use of scaffolding and sentence stems to support all learners
• Explicit vocabulary teaching and opportunities to apply new words in context
• Regular opportunities for children to share ideas through assemblies, school council, presentations, and collaborative learning

Skills are revisited across all subjects to ensure children apply them confidently in a range of contexts.

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Achievement

By the end of Year 2, children:

• Speak clearly, confidently, and respectfully to different audiences
• Listen carefully and respond thoughtfully
• Use a rich and varied vocabulary to express ideas and opinions
• Demonstrate strong communication skills that support learning across the curriculum