Powell promises equal status for speaking skills in English
The education secretary’s curriculum pledge draws support from researchers, alongside calls for practical guidance.
Speaking and listening will receive equal status with reading and writing in England’s revised English curriculum, Education Secretary Lucy Powell has announced. The commitment covers teaching and assessment, although detailed arrangements remain to be developed.
Powell announced the change on 15 October at the Confederation of School Trusts conference. She said the government would work with school leaders and Ofqual through the curriculum review, with speaking, listening and communication featuring from primary education through GCSE and beyond. Her announcement sets a direction for reform rather than providing schools with a finished assessment scheme. [The published speech](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/education-secretary-speech-at-cst-conference-2026) records the commitment.
The policy concerns oracy: the ability to express ideas through speech and engage with other people’s contributions. Powell presented greater confidence in communication as an opportunity that should be available to every child. A contemporaneous account of the announcement also described the proposed change as a new strand of English, developed with the qualifications regulator. [Labour Home’s report](https://www.labourhome.co.uk/lucy_powell_gives_speaking_skills_equal_status_with_reading_and_writing_in_english_curriculum) corroborates those central details.
Spoken language already has a substantial place in the existing curriculum. Primary pupils are expected to listen, ask relevant questions, explain their reasoning and participate in presentations and debates. At secondary level, the requirements include speeches, structured discussion and responding to others’ arguments. The new commitment therefore concerns the prominence and organisation of these skills, rather than their first appearance in English lessons.
That distinction matters when assessing what schools would need to change. Existing guidance already connects spoken language with reading and writing, and asks teachers to develop pupils’ confidence throughout their education. It also provides for constructive feedback on speaking and listening. The eventual revised requirements will need to show how the promised equal status differs from those established expectations. [Current English programmes of study](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-english-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-english-programmes-of-study) provide the baseline.
The National Foundation for Educational Research welcomed the announcement while stressing that spoken communication should sit alongside subject knowledge and a broader range of skills. Its research director, Luke Bocock, linked oracy with communication and collaboration, and with the development of problem-solving and creative thinking. He presented these as connected educational priorities, rather than a case for concentrating on speaking alone.
Bocock also called for clear guidance, resources and expectations appropriate to pupils’ ages. Those requests highlight practical decisions still to be made: what progression should look like and how education providers should support it. NFER’s response welcomes the ambition but seeks more detail on how the reform will be implemented. It does not establish that a particular new assessment model has already been chosen. [NFER’s statement](https://www.nfer.ac.uk/press-releases/nfer-comments-on-education-secretarys-speech-at-the-cst-conference/) was published on 15 October.
For schools and families, the immediate development is a ministerial commitment to strengthen oracy within curriculum reform. The speech does not specify a new examination format, grading weight or implementation date for this strand. Those details will determine how the announcement translates into classroom practice.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The announcement was made on 15 October.
- Spoken language already features in England’s curriculum.
- NFER supports greater prominence alongside knowledge and practical guidance.
Left
Arguments A stronger entitlement to speaking and listening could widen access to opportunities that depend on being heard. Delivery should include support for pupils with additional communication needs and adequate school resources.
Values Equal opportunity, inclusion and participation.
Consequences Supporters would seek narrower opportunity gaps, while fearing that an unfunded requirement could reproduce inequalities between schools.
Centre
Arguments The reform should build on existing teaching, with clear progression and assessment developed by educators and the regulator. Evaluation should establish whether it improves learning without imposing a disproportionate workload.
Values Evidence, institutional competence and workable implementation.
Consequences A carefully designed approach could strengthen teaching; unclear expectations could create inconsistent assessment and unnecessary administration.
Right
Arguments Confident expression is valuable, but it depends on vocabulary, subject knowledge and disciplined teaching. Schools should retain flexibility, and assessment should reward clear reasoning rather than fashionable opinions or social polish.
Values Academic standards, individual achievement and professional autonomy.
Consequences Supporters would welcome practical communication skills while resisting reforms that displace foundational learning or introduce subjective grading.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The central announcement is supported by a dated government transcript and a same-day research organisation response. Existing curriculum requirements are distinguished from the proposed reform, and unspecified implementation details remain explicitly unresolved.
- confirmed Education Secretary Lucy Powell announced equal status for oracy on 15 October 2026 at the CST conference. — The official transcript identifies the speaker, date, event and commitment. source
- confirmed The proposed English strand covers teaching and assessment from primary school through GCSE and beyond, with Ofqual involved. — The contemporaneous report corroborates the scope stated in the transcript. source
- confirmed England’s existing English curriculum already includes speaking, listening, presentations and debate. — The primary and secondary programmes explicitly contain these requirements. source
- confirmed Existing guidance connects spoken language with literacy and recommends constructive feedback. — Confirmed in the spoken-language sections and primary guidance. source
- confirmed NFER research director Luke Bocock welcomed the policy while emphasising knowledge, broader skills, guidance and resources. — NFER’s 15 October response supports each attributed position. source
- confirmed The speech does not specify an examination format, grading weight or implementation date for oracy. — The transcript states the commitment without these operational details. source
Editor's note
The announcement and its date are confirmed by the official transcript and NFER’s independently published response. Labour Home supplies supplementary corroboration, not independent scrutiny. Assessment design and implementation timing are not specified in the speech. The perspectives are editorial interpretations of policy choices, not attributed party statements.Sources
- Education Secretary speech at CST Conference 2026 — Department for Education
- Lucy Powell gives speaking skills equal status with reading and writing in English curriculum — Labour Home
- National curriculum in England: English programmes of study — Department for Education
- NFER comments on Education Secretary's speech at the CST Conference — National Foundation for Educational Research
More on this in other media
- The Guardian — „education lucy powell”
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- Sky News — „education lucy powell”