England to embed oracy as core strand of English curriculum from 2028

Summary

The ITV News segment explains the government's plan to integrate oracy — the skill of effective listening and speaking — into England's national curriculum for primary and secondary schools starting September 2028. Education Secretary Lucy Powell argues it should hold equal importance to reading and writing, especially in the AI era where human communication skills like presenting and customer interaction remain irreplaceable. The broadcast notes oracy will be embedded across subjects, with a new framework to support teachers, and mentions that natural history will also become available in the updated curriculum.

Sourcing relies on Powell's recent speech to the Confederation of School Trusts and the 2025 Curriculum and Assessment Review response; no named external experts or critics appear, and the presenter uses light humor while presenting the policy straightforwardly.

Editorial Assessment

The report is largely accurate in conveying the core announcement and rationale but omits important context: oracy is already referenced in the existing national curriculum and GCSE English spoken language endorsement, so this elevates its status, weighting, and embedding rather than inventing it from scratch. Viewers miss nuance around potential trade-offs, such as what content might be deprioritized, teacher training needs, risks of high-stakes assessment for pupils with speech difficulties, and warnings from groups like the National Foundation for Educational Research about resourcing amid existing workloads. The AI and privilege framing aligns with Powell's speech but presents it uncritically; evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation supports oracy's academic benefits, yet long-term outcomes on employment or equity remain correlational. Overall a clear, neutral explainer that could better equip viewers by noting the policy is still in framework-development stage ahead of the spring 2027 final curriculum publication.