Oracy Training and Workshops

How can I help every child find their voice?

More and more children arrive at school scarcely talking at all. And demands from government are squeezing out valuable talk-time from the school day.

"Technoference" seems here to stay. Parents distracted by social media speak less to their children, and children who use devices are less likely to talk to their parents. And the impact is growing, and has continues up the year groups.

Sentence-starters, flashcards and talk-worksheets can be helpful, but also feel a bit artificial.

Plus, different children face different obstacles:
Some haven't talked enough at home.
Some are fearful that other won’t listen.
Some want to speak, but not in front of 30 people.
Some don’t like having their opinions on display.
Some want to speak but are put off by classrooms or teachers.
Some want to speak but don’t want to be seen to want to.
Some are afraid of getting the wrong answer.

And there's not exactly space to fit a new subject called "Oracy" into an already packed timetable.

So how can you help learners become more confident at speaking - in any situation?

Oracy Workshops and In-School Training

Since 2008, we've with hundreds of schools to help all pupils become more articulate, thoughtful speakers without adding to teacher workload.

How do we do it?

We help teachers embed new questions into their curriculum - ones that unlock pupils' curiosity and prove irresistable to talk about
We help teachers find opportunities to facilitate "Thinkers Games" - ways to make thinking physical and help children throw themselves into the joyful argy-bargy of argument.
We help teachers create the best conditions for classroom talk, such as using the principle of "Playground Confident, Classroom Shy" to empower children who clam up in the classroom

Everything is tailored for your school and there's something for every budget. If you wish, we can use the principles of Philosophy Circles to create an even-greater legacy for thinking.

The difficulty was getting the message across to my colleagues. I hosted a short staff meeting, but unfortunately most seemed to have been quickly forgotten.

Having Tom to host the sessions in class absolutely solved this problem. The INSET for all staff was a fantastic way of showing the power and importance of P4C in the class room and with all age groups.

Everyone in the school thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and the INSET. All the staff came away with a huge array of practical and fun ways to enhance teaching and learning. They were all very enthusiastic and excited about putting some of the ideas into practice.

The two days were amazing. The visit far exceeded my expectations. Tom was amazing. He kept the girls and staff thoroughly engaged throughout the whole time he was with us. We all learnt a great deal from his time with us. He matched the skills and ability of all the classes he worked with, from Reception to Year 6.

Angela George

Surbiton High Girls School

Outside the UK?

We work with schools across the world - visit our dedicated page for international schools.

Learn more

"Watching Tom's workshop I was amazed at how it hit EVERY box about oracy..."

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 Brookes

Year 6 Teacher, Kimbolton Prep School

Strategies to help every pupil

Since 2008, hundreds of schools trust us to help improve listening, develop independent thinking and help every child find their voice.

All by showing teachers easier, more effective ways to work with their existing curriculum, not piling more on their plate, including:

Playground Confident, Classroom Shy - how to empower children who clam up in the classroom
Unwrongification - how to free children from the fear of getting it wrong
Small Talk Big Talk - how to keep them talking while raising the stakes

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Practical for Teachers

Learn how planning less and letting the questions do the work fosters greater independence and faster progress.

See how easy it can be to embed meaningful oracy strategies into lessons, with ideas ready to put into action the very next day.

Dozens of ready-to-use activities teachers can embed into any topic
Simple, memorable principles that connect with your schools' values
Tailored resources designed for each age group - no more EYFS staff feeling ignored

Staff have put it into place straight away, particularly as it was focussed on building it into our exisiting curriculum and approaches.

Our training provided staff with structures and resources, and inspiration to put this programme in place. It was inspirational and interactive, and bespoke to our needs. Staff have put it into place straight away, particularly as it was focussed on building it into our exisiting curriculum and approaches.

This will create increase opportunity for understanding curriculum learning at a deeper level and an increased skill in oracy and listening.

Phil Maudsley

Headteacher, Coatham Primary Academy

Fancy a chat about it?

No obligation - just a chat about what might be possible!

Before the training, I didn't have any knowledge to the depths P4C could go with children's thinking.

Before the training, I wasn't familiar with the concept of the sessions and what each session could help the children achieve. I didn't have any knowledge to the depths P4C could go with children's thinking.

The training was brilliant. I really enjoyed taking part in the activities, as they gave you a good insight in the potential outcomes and focuses throughout a session. The training provided and explained a variety of stimuli and games, which fed into discussing the structure of a P4C session. The training allowed the adult to step into a child's shoes when taking part in an activity and this enabled us to gain a clear understanding and experience of how a child might feel and what they might be thinking in certain situations, especially if they are unfamiliar to inquiries.

Our school have allocated slots during teacher's planning time, where we carry out P4C across the school (EY's-KS2). We use many of the resources that were provided on the training and resources sent via email to assist our teaching. We have generated displays and scrap books to display the children's work, discussions, stimuli and photos of the sessions.

The continuous support through email is brilliant and is helping massively.

Karla Fogarty

Holy Cross CEVA Primary School

A successful collaboration - guaranteed.

We don't farm work out to lots of freelancers. If you book us, you get us - either Jason or Tom. We're two former-teachers who have been working with schools for a combined total of over 20 years.

We've never had negative feedback from a school, but if for any reason you were unsatisfied with your training or workshops, we will offer you your money back - no quibbles.

"Never have I been on a whole day's training in which the hours actually fly by too quickly. I cannot recommend this p4c training highly enough!"

I really liked the fact that it was so interactive with constant practical examples - actually doing things and feeling what the activities feel like and what they bring out in terms of thinking. It was great fun too and very inspiring. In fact I couldn't believe how quickly the whole day went - it flew by because it was so interesting, fun and inspiring. I am a huge fan of P4C and I think your Philosophy Circles approach is not only beautifully simple but beautifully effective too.

Jason and Tom deliver a totally wonderful day's experience of Philosophy Circles and I say 'experience' because the course is packed full of practical activities - inspiring ideas which are shared and experimented with in an atmosphere of co-creative fun. Never have I been on a whole day's training in which the hours actually fly by too quickly - I am greedy for more! The Philosophy Circles approach makes the inclusion of a philosophical dimension into everyday teaching easy, flexible and totally possible without being a burden in terms of preparation, planning or time management of the curriculum. It can be incorporated into virtually any topic or subject, can be slotted in, take main stage or sit there waiting in the wings for those impromptu moments. Learning how to apply the Philosophy Circles approach is key. Mind-expanding and so much fun - Jason and Tom will give you the tools to put Philosophy Circles into action immediately. I cannot recommend this p4c training highly enough.

Rachel Hutchings

Teacher, Kent

Ready-to-use resources

Lots of ideas from INSET sound great on the day but get easily forgotten as handouts go to the INSET graveyard.

We make sure your day has a legacy:

Two pocketsized minibook for every teacher ("I still carry mine in my handbag!" said one recently).
Pre-made Oracy resources that get talk going in every area of the curriculum
Spot and Stripe videos to start conversations between pupils
Short, one-minute "How-To" videos for teachers to keep referring back to

"When I first started my teaching I attended courses based on Philosophy for Children but after our recent training day with Tom, I feel many of the ideas and discussions really provoked new ideas for teaching and learning in my classroom."

As a New Head planning CPD for my staff my first thought was P4C. I have had experience of the training on previous occassions and had always left with a wealth of ideas and topics that I couldn't wait to explore in the classroom. I wanted to inspire my whole staff to challenge the children and empower them to take the lead in learning. I feel that education is not always about getting the right answer but the answer that is right for you. Children need the opportunity to hear different opinions and perspectives and understand where they come from, this is how we create our citizens of the future.

"During the course of the training it was fabulous to watch my staff grow in confidence to allow the concept of a learning journey through a topic to develop. When in the classroom I never wanted to do the same thing twice, through P4C its very apparent that the same idea can go in very different directions if we listen to the children and their opinions of our world."

Lindsay Phelps

Headteacher, St. Gabriel's School

What are our options?

How much will training cost?

Everything we do is bespoke for each school. For the the best start, most schools choose a day of training plus or least one workshop day where teachers observe us with their classes. All prices are +VAT and reasonable expenses.

Half days begin at £500+VAT, and full days begin at £750+VAT.

There's lots of ways to do something within your budget. MATs and clusters often join together for a day to reduce costs and promote collaboration between schools.

Interested in training?

Message us using the form on the right.

Call us on 01245 830123

Email office@thephilosophyman.com

Book a call with us through Calendly

Feedback from recent training. Can you spot the buzzword?

"I cannot describe the buzz and vibe from the staff, all down to you."

"You really did create a huge buzz in school, which is a difficult shout on the first day back! You covered everything we wanted out of the training and gave us mountains of material to use in class. I loved the fact you gave each phase some planning time to discuss ideas and plan sessions and then trial them out of colleagues. You have definitely given us some inspiration and I am very excited to see what happens next."

"There was a buzz during the staff meeting, which for any member of staff attending a staff meeting knows this is a rare thing! All the staff said how enthused and excited they felt to get back into their classrooms and try out the methods they had been shown."

"The questions raised interested everyone and there was a real buzz in the room. Our training was full of practical activities and games, with the just the right amount of discussion about teaching techniques interspersed. What an inspiring day!"

"It is us who would like to thank you. It was such an inspirational INSET and the staff were truly excited. The enthusiasm and buzz is palpable!"

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