TOTAL ORACY: this is a 20 day programme which can be spread over one or two terms (or longer) and is a complete, integrated oracy course. It is aimed at building confidence, learning the skills needed for communication in social and public situations and strategies for success (what we call ‘personal politics’). Apart from classroom training by our tutors, the programme includes staff sessions and lesson modelling as well as consultation aimed at integrating oracy into the curriculum and school timetable. The course is highly flexible and is always adapted to the particular needs of a school. It also integrates with after-school clubs such as TED Talks and debating. Given the pressure of exams this works best in years 7 (where it can function as a transition/form-bonding exercise) 8, 10 or 12. Where possible we like to provide opportunities to demonstrate the skills learnt, for example in fun mock elections or in awareness campaigns as a climax to each term.

ORACY PRIMER: aimed at years 5 and 6, this is a series of four workshops (each of which can operate as a standalone) for primary schools, looking at core skills of comprehension, questioning, creativity, storytelling (in fact and fiction) as well as performance poetry. Highly inclusive, it is designed to be fun and motivate students: exercises range from rapping the poetry of AA Milne to putting Goldilocks on trial for breaking and entering as well as looking at how stories work in myths and radio news. It can sometimes be very noisy and messy (as creativity often is) - using outside staff for teaching enables schools to set boundaries. The course aims to integrate classwork so pupils can use their knowledge and interests: this year we have focused sessions on Greek and African myths, climate change and biodiversity as well as integrating texts the pupils are studying.

POLITICS AND PUBLIC SPEAKING: we think the highly formal nature of many debating clubs puts off students and does not reflect real life, especially in the age of Trump. Our model is TED Talks – entertaining and stimulating presentations followed by questions. We offer a series of workshops and/or classroom lessons looking at the art of arguing a point of view and motivating change, as well as planning for and handling difficult questions and opposing points of view. One area of focus is Geography where hot topics of resources, climate change, energy, water, migration and war will dominate our students' futures. We also incorporate elements of negotiation and personal resilience training through role-play.

ENRICHMENT: we run weekly cultural capital/enrichment sessions as well as tailored training for Oxbridge/Russell Group university entry and job/apprenticeship interviews. This is based on tutorial style teaching: presentation and arguments on topical and course based subjects – for example in the 24-25 academic year we have looked at quantum theory, traffic management & fluid mechanics, moral philosophy, family law in the age of assisted reproduction, scientific epistemology, gene therapy, Shakespearian tragedy, women in ancient Greece as well as AI, the industrial revolution, the information revolution, land reform, tenancy, taxation, policing, media and fact-checking. The format is designed to emulate the shortform structure of TikTok and Instagram.

APPLICATIONS, CVS AND INTERVIEWS: Strategy-focused workshops looking at self-presentation and interviewing skills both oral and written - for higher education and employment. This is adapted from our hugely successful CV workshops which we run at university level, (and for teachers!). Marketing yourself is a key part of this course which focuses on positivity: key messages and eliminating loose 'loser language' as well as identifying and demonstrating the key skills sought by interviewers. This is especially more poignant with the increasing use of AI.

SHORT COURSES: We are able to offer short courses based around a subject - typically two or three half-day workshops. We have been working with the National Gallery's ARTiculation programme for visual arts and coaching debating skills (we prefer the ESL Mace) and can prepare individual students or teams for informal or national events - from poetry slams and rap contests to more formal speeches or debates. Within individual subjects we have worked with Geography (we are planning a Geo-Talk programme with the Royal Geographical Society) and sciences (Medical, Social and Political) as well as drama, poetry and creative writing as well as classical history and literature Our team's background in media means we can organise a number of workshops around performance and communications, including the setting up of a school radio station or vlogging intranet.

MEDIA AWARENESS AND SKILLS: A two hour practical workshop on media awareness, looking at the processes of newsgathering, reporting and editorial choices. This is led by Lawrence (BBC radio correspontent and presenter) and Simon (BBC news producer and programme editor). Students will get to write stories for a news bulletin and make tough editorial decisions over content. This also looks at language choice, bias and framing.