Public-Speaking Competition

On 25 January, three of our LE (Year 9) pupils took part in the second round of the English-Speaking Union Public Speaking Competition at the Bishop’s Palace in Chichester.
In the competition, Israel gave a stellar speech on why the model for Swedish prisons should be taken up globally. Amelia was excellent as a warm and welcoming chair and Marton played the role of an interrogative questioner.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get through to the final, but these three did remarkably well considering they were the youngest in the room and will look forward to taking part again next year!

The prestigious ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition, sponsored by the International Churchill Society, is the largest such contest in England and Wales, with around 400 teams (each comprising a speaker, questioner and a chairperson).
The different roles allow students to practise and excel in different skill sets, and the competition’s unique format, which pairs the speaker from one school with the chair and questioner of another, encourages quick thinking and relationship building.
Most importantly, it’s great fun and a terrific way for students to develop their oracy skills in a friendly, supportive environment.