Helping Children Communicate: Lostwithiel Receives National Award

We are delighted to share some exciting news with our families: Lostwithiel School has been named a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence, becoming only the second school in the South West to receive this prestigious national recognition.

The award recognises the work we do every day to help children develop the confidence, communication and listening skills that will support them throughout school and beyond.

Oracy is all about helping children learn how to speak clearly, listen carefully, share their ideas and work well with others. These skills have never been more important as children grow up in a world where so much communication happens through screens and devices.

At Lostwithiel School, oracy is part of everyday life. Whether children are taking part in classroom discussions, working together on projects, speaking in assemblies or sharing their ideas with their classmates, they are constantly building the confidence to use their voice.

Boy and girl communicating with each other at Lostwithiel Primary

A girl communicating with friends at Lostwithiel Primary

Voice 21, the UK's leading oracy education charity, selected Lostwithiel School from more than 1,200 schools across the country. The organisation praised the school's whole-school approach, recognising the way oracy is woven throughout our vision, values, curriculum and daily learning experiences.

Profile photo of Mrs E Badger

Mrs E Badger

Headteacher at Lostwithiel Primary School

"While technology brings many benefits, it can also mean that children have fewer opportunities to develop the spoken communication and social skills that previous generations learned naturally through everyday interactions.

We have embraced oracy because we want our children to leave Lostwithiel School as confident, articulate young people who know how to socialise, listen, collaborate, present their ideas and engage positively with the world around them."

Supporting the Whole Child

This award reflects something that has always been important to us at Lostwithiel School: helping children flourish not only academically, but socially and emotionally too.

Alongside our work on oracy, every child enjoys weekly Forest School sessions in our beautiful woodland grounds. From Tiny Trees Nursery through to Year 6, children spend regular time outdoors, building confidence, resilience and a connection with the natural world.

Two boys enjoying outdoor learning and forest school, cornwall

Mrs Badger added:
"One of the aspects that makes Lostwithiel School so special is the opportunity for children to learn and grow in the natural environment. From 2-year-olds in our Tiny Trees Nursery all the way through to Year 6, every pupil takes part in weekly Forest School sessions. We know that families are looking for more than just academic success for their children; they want them to be happy and well-rounded individuals."

A Proud Moment for Our School Community

We are incredibly proud of this achievement and would like to thank our staff, pupils and families for the part they have played in making it possible.

Most importantly, this recognition reflects our commitment to helping every child find their voice, grow in confidence and develop the skills they need to thrive in the modern world.

As always, we look forward to building on this success and continuing to provide the very best opportunities for every child at Lostwithiel School.