Weekly eNews

Dr Ray Swann

Deputy Headmaster, Head of the Crowther Centre

Giving Boys a Voice for the Future

At Brighton Grammar, we place great value on oracy – our ability to express ideas clearly through spoken language. In a rapidly changing world, where artificial intelligence will increasingly shape how we work and live, it is the distinctly human skills that will matter most. Our capacity to think, converse, articulate ideas, and engage meaningfully with others will be central to success in this new economy.

Oracy begins early. From a child’s youngest days, their voice is formed through conversation -particularly with parents and carers. Through talk, children learn to make sense of the world, to organise their thoughts, and to develop an inner voice. That inner dialogue plays a powerful role in how they think about challenges, tell themselves stories about who they are, and approach learning more broadly.

Research increasingly shows that we do not think only in silence; we think through dialogue. Discussion, questioning and verbal reasoning all deepen understanding. When students are able to explain ideas aloud, listen carefully to others, and refine their thinking through conversation, learning becomes more durable and meaningful.

For this reason, oracy is not something we see as belonging solely to English classrooms. At Brighton Grammar, we are committed to developing students’ spoken language skills across all areas of schooling. Whether in Mathematics, Science, Humanities, or the Arts, opportunities to speak, reason, question and reflect are intentionally built into learning experiences.

By nurturing oracy across the curriculum, we are helping boys become confident communicators, critical thinkers and empathetic listeners, young men equipped not only with knowledge, but with the voice and clarity to use it well.

We deeply value the role families play in this journey. Everyday conversations at home – about learning, ideas, challenges and experiences – remain one of the most powerful foundations for developing a strong and thoughtful voice.

We hope you enjoy our senior production Rock of Ages this week. The high energy show opened last night to an enthusiastic crowd. Congratulations to all students involved, both on stage and behind the scenes.

And a last reminder about our wonderful Year 8 parent / son book club on 20 May.

If you have any areas of learning you would like to hear more about, please reach out to the Crowther team.

Dr Ray Swann
Deputy Headmaster
Head of the Crowther Centre