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Welcome to the September 2026 Oracy Cup!
The Oracy Cup: Lesson Plans and Competition Resources
Welcome to The September 2026 Oracy Cup, a competition designed to give every pupil the opportunity to find, develop, and celebrate their voice.
Developed in partnership between Equalitas Professional Services and Charlton Athletic Community Trust, The Oracy Cup brings education and community together to build confidence, teamwork, and communication through high quality speaking and listening experiences.
How the Oracy Cup works
Schools in Bexley, Kent and Greenwich are invited to take part by delivering a short, three lesson sequence during tutor time or class time. These lessons support pupils to build confidence, structure ideas, and prepare a short spoken piece on a topic of their choice.
At the end of the sequence, schools run one or more internal competitions to select winning pupils and submit their entries using the submission form linked at the bottom on this page.
Entries should be submitted as an audio recording in MP3 or WAV format.
Simple classroom recordings are absolutely fine. Entries are judged on clarity, confidence, content, and teamwork, not on production quality.
We request that schools submit a maximum of 2 entries, we recommend that these are selected by running internal compeition(s) as per the lesson-sequences provided.
What you need to take part
All resources needed to run the Oracy Cup in your school are available to download below. Together, these documents explain the purpose of the competition, outline the educational and social goals, and provide ready to use lesson plans for both primary and secondary pupils.
When you have delivered the lessons and selected your winning entries, please complete the short submission form and upload your audio file(s). The form asks for the teacher name, school name, and student entrant name and year group.
Oracy Cup Winners
All schools who have winning entries selected by our panel will receive Charlton match tickets.
Oracy Cup winners, selected by our panel, will be invited to special experiences including:
- 3rd Place: Charlton TV Production Day – behind-the-scenes experience in sports media.
- 2nd Place: Charlton Press Conference Experience – meet players and ask questions alongside journalists.
- 1st Place: Matchday Experience – join commentators live in the commentary box at a Charlton Athletic FC Mens first team fixture at the Valley in December 2026.
Equalitas will work closely with schools and families to support transport, attendance, and accessibility for all winners.
Guidance and framework documents
Teacher Briefing Document
An overview of The Oracy Cup, including its aims, educational rationale, competition structure, judging criteria, and practical guidance for delivery. This document explains how the competition complements existing Oracy practice and supports confidence, inclusion, and aspiration. Download PDF>
Student Outcomes Framework
Suggested indicators for reflecting on the impact of The Oracy Cup at pupil level. The framework combines qualitative and quantitative measures aligned to the competition’s six educational and social goals, with a focus on communication, confidence, collaboration, wellbeing, and inclusion. Download PDF >
Educational and Social Goals
A detailed explanation of the six core goals underpinning The Oracy Cup, including developing confident communicators, narrowing the communication gap for disadvantaged pupils, strengthening teamwork through spoken learning, and embedding sustainable Oracy practice in schools. Download PDF>
Lesson plans:
Each lesson sequence consists of three short, 20 minute sessions designed to be delivered weekly, fortnightly, or as a short preparation series. Lessons focus on participation, encouragement, and growth, with an emphasis on clarity, confidence, and authentic voice rather than performance polish.
Primary lessons (Ages 9 to 11)
Secondary lessons (Ages 12 to 15)
Submit your Oracy Cup entry:
When your school is ready, submit your winning entry using the form below.
We request that schools submit a maximum of 2 entries, selected from their internal competition(s).
Please ensure:
- The entry is uploaded as an MP3 or WAV audio file
- The recording features the pupil delivering their Oracy Cup speech
- Teacher name, school name, and student entrant name are completed in the form
- The Deadline to submit entries will be 11pm on November 13th, 2026.
By taking part in The Oracy Cup, schools are helping pupils develop a life changing skill: the confidence to speak, to be heard, and to use their voice to shape their future.
