Talking is the proxy for thinking

The theme of the day was oracy and bringing maths talk to the classroom. Our keynote speaker was Victoria Osbourne, an oracy expert and Maths Hub colleague, from the Cambridge Maths Hub. Opening the discussion with the statement, “Talking is the proxy for thinking”, Victoria observed how talking in the classroom is often a missing skill. She went on to introduce an interactive VEST task (Vertical Shared Thinking) - getting everyone on their feet (working vertically) to explore a maths problem. This demonstrated that working in this way could really encourage maths talk/discussion in a more focused and collaborative way – and with fewer distractions. She went on to explore messy talk and exploratory talk and the value of these conversations between pupils. It’s not always about using technical spoken language, it’s about developing a classroom culture of talking to share ideas, challenge concepts and generate discussion.  

The oracy utopia 

Victoria went on to share more practical strategies and insights on how purposeful talk can support deeper understanding and help pupils engage more confidently with mathematical concepts. By building confidence in speaking and listening, pupils feel equipped with the tools they need to tackle both routine and more complex, unfamiliar problems. In this way, language becomes more than just a way to communicate—it becomes a key part of learning, thinking, and thriving in maths. 

To learn more about the NCETM’s work on oracy, click here. 

Top rating 

Following this, delegates took part in a host of practical workshop sessions led by our Local Leaders of Maths Education and special guest presenters. All in all, a fabulous event that was rated 9.1 out of 10 by attendees. 

Quotes from the day

“I thought it was fantastic day, meeting new people, engaging in multiple sessions across different areas. I have taken away a lot of amazing ideas” 

“I have felt like I have learnt a lot today to take back to my department”  

“Good to get to know other maths teachers and spend time talking maths” 

“Chatting is good. Thinking is great. Grateful to GLOW for giving us the opportunity to learn”  

“I thought that the general enthusiasm of the day was fantastic. I really liked the range of sessions on offer and thought the keynote speech was particularly good” 

“Made me think about how to encourage more exploratory language from students” 

“So friendly and made things easy to understand and showed how we could use the things in a classroom”