Congratulations to Hamish, Ansel and Amelia, who represented Oundle at the Grand Final of the English-Speaking Union’s National Public Speaking Competition at Dartmouth House, London, on 1 June.
The competition, the largest of its kind for schools in England and Wales, gives pupils the opportunity to develop and demonstrate their public speaking, listening and critical thinking skills. More than 1,500 pupils from over 200 schools took part this year, with just 11 teams progressing to the final.
Competing against some of the country’s strongest young speakers, Hamish, Ansel and Amelia each delivered impressive performances and were only narrowly beaten in the final. Amelia eloquently chaired the winning speech, while Ansel delivered a confident and thoughtful speech exploring whether adaptation or prediction is the more successful approach. Hamish’s incisive questioning was recognised with the competition’s Best Questioner award, an exceptional achievement reflecting his ability to engage closely with complex arguments.
We are very proud of all three pupils for reaching the final, and for the teamwork, preparation and commitment they showed throughout.
