By Mrs Graves (English Teacher)

On Monday 23rd June, the Year 9 Public Speaking Competition came to an exciting conclusion as ten finalists, two from each class, presented their speeches to an audience of peers and staff. The finalists spoke with confidence and clarity, engaging their audience on a wide range of important and imaginative topics. From a spirited defence of air travel to an insightful exploration of social media’s effects on mental health, each speaker offered a unique perspective on their chosen topic. The rest of the year group formed an exemplary audience, listening attentively and supporting their peers. The range and quality of speeches reflected the students’ awareness of both local and global issues, and it was so interesting for many students to learn for the first time about topics such as the future of family farming and the impact of the Landlord Reform Bill.

The Year 9 Powerful Speakers unit in English encourages students to think about how people can use their voices to effect change in the world, connecting clearly to the school value of being bold. Congratulations to Serena Hirani, this year’s winner, and to runners-up Flavia Genovese and Esme Wiltshire for their outstanding performances. All of the finalists were very impressive speakers, noted by our adjudicators Mrs Ackroyd and Mrs Arrowsmith, who offered some excellent feedback to the year group as a whole about the importance of speaking up and speaking out.

We’re already looking forward to next year’s competition, so Year 8 had better get their thinking caps on!