Supporting the English Curriculum
Why do discussions about the news matter in English?
The Curriculum and Assessment Review Interim Report for England (March 2025) flagged media literacy and broadening perspectives as focus areas and acknowledged the National Curriculum’s responsibility in supporting civil society and cohesion.
Topical Talk helps students to discuss a wide range of non-fiction topics, increasing their knowledge of the world and different perspectives outside of their classroom and community. With regular use, students identify themes and conventions within the news and link their cross-curricular learning to current affairs.
Topical Talk lessons support skills across reading and writing and uses oracy to bridge the gap between the two English curriculum areas. Taking part in Topical Talk lessons regularly builds students’ ability to decipher and evaluate information and to form and communicate sound opinions by referencing texts and discussions.
Looking to improve your English classes? Join our free Topical Talk summer webinar
How does Topical Talk support vocabulary building and oracy?
Vocabulary
KS2, KS3
Topical Talk lessons teach specialised keywords and phrases. Whether it’s encountering new words such as “infodemic” or concepts such as “democracy”, students build their vocabulary which aids their precision and expression.
Oracy
KS2, KS3, KS4
Small group activities, games and low-stakes discussions help to increase students’ confidence in articulating understanding, expressing their views and engaging with others. This also helps prepare students to succeed in GCSE Spoken Language Endorsements.
Find out more about Topical Talk and oracy here.
Learn moreHow does Topical Talk support reading?
Reading comprehension
KS2
Students are regularly required to infer how someone might feel about what is happening, what they might think or what they might do by putting themselves in someone else’s shoes and thinking from different perspectives. They will always be asked to justify their opinions with fact-checked, reliable evidence from the lesson.
Analytical skills: literature and non-fiction texts
KS3, KS4
In Topical Talk discussions, students must be active and critical listeners in order to form effective responses - this supports their analytical skills in both English Literature (e.g. understanding characters’ motivations) and English Language (e.g. evaluating viewpoints). Consistently engaging with a diverse range of perspectives builds students’ empathy and understanding, a key skill for analysing literary and non-fiction texts.
Topical Talk’s focus on media literacy develops students’ ability to discern how a writer or media outlet might seek to influence them, or how information might be manipulated, which supports analysis of non-fiction texts.
How does Topical Talk support writing?
Writing structure
KS2, KS3
Topical Talk lessons develop initial ideas for writing by getting students to explore the topics through talk. They support the teaching of “point, example, explanation” or similar models by inviting students to articulate their opinion, use facts and examples and justify their views.
Writing with purpose
KS2, KS3, KS4
Lessons examine big questions, problems or debates, which makes them particularly suited to non-fiction writing units such as newspaper articles, balanced arguments or persuasive writing. Students are often motivated by writing about real issues that affect their lives which makes them more engaged, feel that their work is meaningful and that they are empowered by having their thoughts and opinions heard.
Read some student’s written work after Topical Talk lessons
Download Festival highlights (PDF)
Writing with empathy
KS3, KS4
Topical Talk exposes students to varied viewpoints and diverse global perspectives. This nurtures empathy and enhances creativity which improves students’ ability to imagine and create characters and narratives in voices other than their own. This is further supported by activities that require students to engage in discussions in role.
Writing for a range of audiences
KS3, KS4
Exposing students to a range of perspectives develops students’ empathy and understanding of those different to themselves. This improves their ability to successfully adapt their communication for different audiences.
Want to embed Topical Talk into your curriculum?
Talk to our primary specialist:
Stephanie Young
[email protected]
Talk to our secondary specialist:
Isabelle Parkin
[email protected]
