Congratulations to Year 11 pupils Hannah Bekman, Amelia Willars and Akshata Samaddar for winning the first round of the prestigious ESU Churchill Public Speaking Competition.
After weeks of planning, rehearsals and Zoom calls with thier coaches Dr Christie and Mr Emmerich, the team took to the virtual stage to execute their roles of chair, speaker and questioner.
The ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition is the largest public speaking contest in England and Wales, with around 400 teams (each comprising a speaker, questioner and a chairperson).
As chair, Hannah first welcomed the audience and introduced their designated speaker from Farringtons School, as well as Akshata as questioner, who extended the arguments discussed. This format was repeated by each team, until Amelie, placed with Francis Holland, closed the round with a fantastic speech addressing ‘Does the American Dream Still Exist?’
“After a competitive yet very enjoyable debate, our efforts resulted in a gratifying first place, with Amelie’s excellent performance winning Best Speaker overall. We are looking forward to the next round of the competition, excited for another opportunity to hone our public speaking skills at such a celebrated event.” Hannah Bekman, Year 11
Regional finals of the competition will be held in March, with the grand final in late April.