The Speaking Summit is an annual, in-person conference dedicated to oracy education for primary and secondary leaders. The 2026 conference takes place on 20th March in London.

The conference brings together leading academics, education experts, policy makers and practitioners to:

• Discuss the latest oracy research and policy developments.
• Learn about oracy-rich approaches to teaching and learning.
• Explore strategies to help embed a culture of oracy education.
• Get practical tips to help address specific areas of oracy provision.

Speakers for the 2026 conference include:

• Dr Kate Paradine: Towards an Oracy Generation
• Professor Jessie Ricketts: Oracy and Reading – Two Sides of the Same Story
• Dr Rupert Knight: Speaking Up – Oracy and Civic Voice
• Amy Gaunt: A Decade of Lessons from Voice 21 Schools
• Sir Martyn Oliver: Oracy and the New Inspection
• Professor Julia Snell: How Can We Create Opportunities for All Pupils to Speak? Overcoming Barriers to Dialogue
• Louisa Reeves: Making Oracy Inclusive by Design
• Coco Khan: The Power of Finding My Voice
• Sonia Thompson: Words to Action – Making Oracy Education Happen

Cost: £175 per person for Voice 21 Schools/£215 for non-members.

About Voice 21: Voice 21 is the UK’s leading oracy education charity. Launched in 2015, its mission is to transform the learning and life chances of young people through talk, ensuring that every child has access to high-quality oracy education.