Focusing on the oracy aspect of Curriculum SOAR, a new subject for Forms 7 and 8 this year on the timetable is the Independent Project Qualification (iPQ). An externally assessed component from the Independent Schools Examinations Board, the iPQ builds on our approach to Oracy in Key Stages 1 and 2 through the ESB (English Speaking Board) in developing confident and articulate young speakers who can present their ideas with clarity and authenticity. Far removed from reaching for AI to create our own arguments, this is about developing the power of listening to another point of view, constructing an argument or case, and then presenting this. A dedicated lesson is given over to this for Forms 7 and 8. The focus for Form 7 is an introduction to debating, current affairs and being able to construct an argument and pivot quickly. Activities this term have included the creation and presentation of posters on a topic of global importance which means something to the pupils, a speech on an aspect of Fundamental British Values, and latterly a class podcast on the importance of the Commonwealth (do take a listen via the link below):
As pupils move into Form 8 they begin to construct their own ‘Fireside talk’ on a topic that means something to them and has contemporary relevance. Learning how to research (without AI) and construct an argument, they turn their topic into a Big Idea, and then structure their talk around three Essential Questions (aligning this with the construct of Curriculum SOAR). Our Form 8s are in the final stages of writing their talks, which will be presented to their parents, staff and invited guests from Shrewsbury and other senior schools, in June. These, along with their posters, will be moderated externally and certificated alongside their Common Entrance examinations.
We have been hugely impressed with the depth of the topics being explored, which include:
Should the past be confined to the past?
Social Media is destroying society. But is it?
Is the fighting industry morally right or wrong?
Do dreams affect our subconscious?
Enhanced games, a fun test or dangerous?
Revolution is for the benefit of greedy people not for the good of society.
The world’s most decisive moments don’t happen in wide-open spaces – they happen in passages. Whoever controls the chokepoint controls the future.
