Mr Sean Howes – Head of English

Over the last term, Upper Third students have worked hard to add polish to their oracy skills for the English Speaking Board qualifications. All pupils followed the same programme and the result has been a group of young people who have become increasingly confident and adept in expressing their thoughts and opinions to an audience.

This feast of eloquence reached its zenith in our annual public speaking competition, where the hardest thing for the judges to decide was how to pick a winner and two runners-up from such a talented field.

In the end, we were delighted to award first place to Josie B whilst Rupert AW and Ruby OS were joint runners-up.

My thanks to the judges: Mr Sanders, Mrs Boylan and Malaya and Bryndon from the sixth form – and to the English Department who prepared the competitors so well. It was, as ever, a delight to attend and to hear all of the children in the Final speak.