Children at Oratory speak a wide range of languages. We embrace the cultures in our school and provide opportunities whenever possible for children to share aspects of their heritage with other children in the school.

Parents and carers are encouraged to continue to speak and develop their first language skills at home, as research shows that bilingual pupils may perform better academically if they have strong skills in their home language.

If pupils arrive at Oratory at the very early stages of English, the school would provide extra support in a number of ways: we work alongside the children in class or withdraw them for one to one or small group sessions. In these sessions, we work on specific aspects of English language or introduce particular vocabulary and new concepts so that the children are familiar with these when they arise in class.

Our biennial International Week is an important part of the school calendar. We share stories, songs and food from all around the world and in recent years, children have taken part in projects such as making heritage books, a culture quilt, and a national costume parade.