St Margaret’s School for Girls is underscoring its commitment to oracy (the confident, articulate use of spoken language) as a core part of its curriculum following a recent TES article highlighting that across Scottish classrooms, spoken language rarely receives the same explicit attention as literacy and numeracy despite being a fundamental skill for students’ academic and future success (https://www.tes.com/magazine/a...).
Oracy is a key focus at St Margaret’s, with students benefiting from structured opportunities for public speaking and debate, as well as everyday classroom experiences that help them communicate their ideas with confidence and clarity. Students recently participated in the semi-finals of the Donald Dewar debate at Nairn Academy at which they were given just one hour between receiving the motion and starting their speeches, with no resources other than a pen and paper. This round challenged them to debate whether there should be a complete ban on mobile phones during the school day and pushed them to think quickly, challenge arguments effectively and speak persuasively - all essential skills in developing confidence and oracy.
A highlight of this term was the Model United Nations Conference which saw the school welcome students across Scotland for a day of engaging debate, diplomacy and student-led leadership. Annabel Welsh, Secretary-General, and Kimberly Asalor, Vice Secretary-General, who played key roles in the conference alongside their peers Sylvie Muirand and Emilie Parkinson, have since reflected on how Model United Nations and other debating and public speaking activities have helped them develop their oracy skills.
Annabel Welsh, Sixth Year Student at St Margaret’s School for Girls, said: “Debating and Model UN have really helped develop my listening skills, allowing me to understand both sides of an argument and avoid bias. When I first started I had very little experience speaking in public, but the more you do it the more confident you become. Opportunities like this open a lot of doors. You meet different people, hear from guest speakers and get the chance to ask questions about real-world issues. The confidence you gain from doing something like Model UN stays with you - whether in school, work or life. It helps you listen, engage with others and come up with solutions to problems.”
Kimberley Asalor, Sixth Year Student at St Margaret’s School for Girls, said: “Activities like Model UN give you the confidence to stand up in a room full of people you don’t know and make your point. That’s a skill that’s really valuable for higher education and beyond. It also opens you up to global issues and perspectives that you don’t always cover in the classroom, and encourages you to consider viewpoints you might not personally agree with. One of the biggest skills I’ve developed is taking a moment to think about what I’m saying and how to communicate it to the audience in front of me.”
Anna Tomlinson, Headteacher at St Margaret’s School for Girls, said: “We are incredibly proud of the leadership shown by our senior pupils in organising and running this year’s Model United Nations conference. They demonstrated confidence, organisation and diplomacy throughout, guiding discussions and supporting delegates to take part in thoughtful debate. Their commitment and enthusiasm helped make the conference a real success.”