Talking Tales Turns Two: Developing Teacher Pedagogies at Links Primary School
17th March 2026As Talking Tales enters its second year, Tory (Project Manager) visits Links Primary School to meet with Project Teachers Yemaya (Year 1) and Aga (Year 3). Together, they reflect on how the project has evolved and explore the challenges, surprises, and successes of embedding drama and storytelling into their classrooms.
Tory: How has the shift from the first to the second year been for you? Moving from a Polka Practitioner-led model to a Project Teacher-centred approach.
Yemaya: I think it’s been quite natural. I feel like it was the perfect amount of handholding until we got to this point, and now it’s “let it rip”, to use a very Aussie phrase. It has become much easier to embed the activities now, especially with the continued support from Kimba. If we didn’t have that, I would probably repeat the same three activities over and over again.
Embedding the activities into the curriculum now feels very natural. I would also say that we are becoming more eager at this point to find where to place and incorporate them. For me, it’s the next step up. If we had stuck with the same model as last year, I would have found it difficult. I was looking for that step up, and the shift in the second year has created that.
Aga: After our first CPD of the second year it was a little scary. I was moving into a new year group, Year 3, so for me it was about getting familiar with everything and finding places to embed the activities. It was a lot to take in, but Kimba (Polka Practitioner) is always available; we have always been able to reach out, and he is always able to give us a hand.
Also, if we reach out to Polka, you are always available to help. That has made the whole process of embedding the activities much easier. If we need help, we know we can get support.
Tory: What does embedding drama and the Polka Oracy Framework look like in your classroom now?
Yemaya: It’s more consistent now, but it also varies in where it appears throughout the day. It depends on the topic we are exploring; it could be a warm-up game, a brain break, or an end-of-lesson activity. Embedding these activities now feels natural and looks different day to day, especially in Year 1.
The children are used to learning through play, and for that to flourish we need a communication-rich classroom, which these activities help to develop. You can see how much they are talking to each other. You can see them going to the reading corner, and their ability to communicate with me has grown. The confidence they have in doing this has really developed.
Aga: I’m going to refer to the areas where it has been most successful for me: History, Science, and English. This is where the children are able to talk, be more expressive, and share their ideas. Considering that many of our children are EAL, it has been lovely to see how their language has grown. The activities are bringing real results, and you can see the children’s development across the project.
What does it look like in the classroom? The children look up and get excited anytime we bring in games and activities that aren’t just table-based, they can move around. They can put themselves into other characters’ shoes, play a role, and ask questions. It really excites them.
They need that excitement to engage with learning to play and build a willingness to learn. The longer we sit, the less effective the learning becomes.
Tory: What has changed in your teaching pedagogy and practice?
Yemaya: I think it’s the willingness to do it and the understanding of the project. The planning is coming more naturally; the delivery and the practice of delivery are also becoming easier.
For example, the activity Imagination Hike I don’t have to read the instructions anymore. I now just know what it is and can use it in the classroom. The children are so happy doing the activities, and they are strengthening classroom relationships.
In terms of my creative confidence, I am more willing to modify and adapt the activities and have more creative freedom in how I use them. That confidence has developed through working with Kimba (Polka Practitioner).
Aga: Polka came along for me in my third year of teaching here, and it was a lovely change. This is something I’ve been developing over the past two years, and it’s now an extra tool I have.
It’s exciting to have this extra tool and to have other people to share it with. Being able to sit down with Yemaya and talk about what we are using in our teaching has been really nice.
Tory: What impact have you noticed in your pupils’ communication, interaction, confidence, and learning as a result of using the Polka Oracy Framework?
Yemaya: There is more communication happening, especially during play-based learning. There is also more open communication happening across the board from the pupils. They are more willing to talk to the adults in the room, and when they do, there are high expectations around the level of oracy they use for example, speaking in full sentences.
I have realised that Talking Tales has helped shape that expectation.
Aga: I think confidence is the main one. Some children are much more confident in putting their hands up now. There were a few children in my class whose confidence was really low almost none. They were either too worried to share an answer, or they found it intimidating to have so many people looking directly at them.
I can’t say for certain that this is entirely because of our focus on oracy, but in general, as the children move from Year 2 to Year 3, I can see their progress and development. They are growing up, but because we are doing so many lessons based on oracy, there is definitely an impact on how they speak and their confidence in doing so.
Tory: What do you think has brought about these changes in yourself and your pupils?
Yemaya: From the implementation perspective, it has been the support from Polka and from Kimba. There has also been support from leadership and understanding from the school. From there, it makes it much easier for us to implement and embed the activities.
It creates a top-down effect leadership is on board, which means we are on board, and that gives us greater freedom to embed the activities. Once we see the impact on the children, we want to do more and more. That top-down approach has really worked.
Aga: I think because most of the activities are play-based and we can all have fun together, it removes the teacher-pupil barrier and reduces the fear of communicating. The children almost forget themselves and their worries about saying something because they are being playful in the moment and the talking just comes out.
It may not always be a perfect sentence, but they are saying something. There is less fear, more happiness, and a joyful way of learning.
For me, it has encouraged more of a “have a go” attitude. It may work, it may not, but that builds confidence and a more flexible, playful approach to learning.
Tory: One of the main focuses for this year is wider sharing in each of our partner schools. What impact do you think drama and the Polka Oracy Framework could have on your wider school community?
Yemaya: There are whispers of oracy around the school, and some people are starting to experiment. I think it’s the perfect time to share the Polka Oracy Framework with our colleagues to say, “Here it is, give it a go.”
I’m not 100 percent sure how wider sharing will happen. In an ideal world, the whole school would receive the training that we’ve had. But it will be really interesting to see how it develops. I think people are ready, and the summer term will be a good time to start.
I would hope that there would be an epiphany moment, that teachers trust it and give it a go. “Hey, this works I’m going to try it.” It’s just about building that trust. We also need to share it in small, strategic ways so it feels approachable rather than overwhelming.
Aga: A very positive impact! I am really eager for colleagues to have access to the resource pack, the Padlet, and to start exploring it.
I know that time is always limited, and I appreciate that I’ve gone through this two-year process, so their experience will be different. But I would love them to feel they can reach out to me.
If I were partnering with another teacher, I would like to mentor them and support them in embedding the activities. It will be interesting to see how the wider sharing is implemented.
Tory: What is your hope for Talking Tales, the Polka Oracy Framework, and oracy in your practice and wider education?
Yemaya: Broadly, it would be wonderful to see it grow into something like an online programme that schools could access. It would be fantastic to create something that could be shared more widely. That would be a big goal and a big dream.
More personally, it’s about keeping the tools sharp not letting them slip away and remembering their importance. I want to maintain the confidence I have developed so that no matter what year group I teach, I can use these approaches.
It’s also about remembering the successes the children and I have had and taking that forward.
Tory: What advice would you give to someone starting their own Talking Tales journey?
Yemaya: Trust the process. Trust it. Follow it. You will see the results.
It can feel challenging at the beginning, and at times it might feel like you are introducing something that doesn’t quite belong. But it will come together.
Aga: Just go with it. Be open-minded and find what works for you.
Start small and build from there. You can’t learn everything in a month, it took us two years. Stay confident and reach out if you need support. Also give yourself credit, we are really busy, so just try one thing and see where it takes you.
It’s one step at a time.