This term, the English Department have been teaching Year 7 about persuasive writing skills and the art of constructing a well researched argument. Pupils have learnt how to form a viewpoint from which to write, the use of rhetorical and persuasive techniques and the impact of their choice of language and style of delivery.
To mark the culmination of the project, children were invited to put their new found skills into practice and deliver a speech at a Public Speaking Competition in front of the rest of the Year Group, teachers and judges. With so many high standard auditions Miss Blackburn, who was coordinating the event, had a really hard task to pick the final 20 speakers.
The competition was held in Main School Hall and produced a highly informative and entertaining morning. Speakers spoke passionately about topics ranging from ’What if Children were in Charge’, and ‘Fast Fashion’ to’ Jeff Bezos’ and ‘British Stereotypes’.
Three external judges, all with extensive personal experience of Public Speaking, – Fiona Kearns, Kearns Consultancy, Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID and Rowena Lloyd, KSSD were extremely impressed with the high standard of delivery and the maturity of children who had only been at Secondary School for one term.
They had the unenviable task of choosing a winner and runners up and after much deliberation, during which time the audience were entertained by the West African Drumming Group supported by Mrs Collett, the judges presented Certificates of Achievement to all speakers. They announced Thora Vardy as the overall winner with her powerful and well researched speech ‘Helping the World get Better’ and runners up Joseph Taylor (What is Perfection?), Eva Hearnshaw (Assassin Bug), Zoe Holt (Ban Homework) and Harry Bowen (What is Climate Change?)
