Share This Page

Inter House Public Speaking Competition

There was a definite buzz in the senior school last Friday as the English Department hosted the yearly Inter House Public Speaking Competition. The whole school gathered in the theatre to listen to 16 incredible speeches on thought provoking and, in several instances, personal topics. We believe wholeheartedly in the importance of nurturing oracy and independent thought; as I said on the day, our words have the power to change minds and lives, if we are given the opportunity to be heard.

The competition is divided into four categories, covering all year groups, and each House entered a team of four speakers: a junior, an intermediate, a senior and a student for whom English is a second language. Kathryn Makepeace, the previous Head of English, was very well placed to judge the competition. Every competitor was heavily praised for the content and structure of their speech; points were also awarded for delivery and rapport with the audience. A trophy for first place was awarded after each round but every speaker was praised for their bravery in stepping onto that stage and speaking so passionately about topics that mattered to them. In the end, we had joint winners and both Putsborough and Woolacombe were the overall champions. I can’t wait until next year’s competition!