BLUNDELL ’ S SCHOOL WIN PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION 2013
Not surprisingly I frequently get called on for all of that and more besides , and if that ’ s true for IT , I ’ m sure it would be the same in any other industry . Think also of the TV show “ Dragons Den ”: how often do you see someone with a good idea who just can ’ t find the words and the confidence to convince the investors ? Not to mention weddings and innumerable other social scenarios ! So unlike those differential equations and French verbs you learnt in school , the skills we teach and exercise in the Competition will serve our participants well whatever career path they choose .
I have been judging this competition for over 20 years , and never cease to be amazed at the skills of the young people we hear . Especially rewarding is seeing teams progress from one round to the next , or re-entering the following year , and realising how they have improved both in skill and in confidence each time .
The ESU organises many other fantastic programmes , but few reach as many participants each year as this . It is already the flagship event for many ESU branches , and we have ambitious plans to grow entries strongly in the coming years . So just as some faiths require their followers to make a pilgrimage to their holy sites or festivals , dare I suggest every ESU member should head along to one of their local Public Speaking events ? You will surely be educated , entertained , informed and inspired !
The national final of the ESU Public Speaking Competition for Schools took place on Saturday 27 April at Goodenough College in London . Each of the eight national finalists were regional champions in their own right , having gone through heats and regional finals organised by ESU branches across the country . As ever in this competition , the standard was exceptionally high , with speakers delivering incisive speeches on a range of stimulating topics . Baroness Maggie Jones , Shadow Minister for Education , chaired the judging panel for this year ’ s final . In her remarks , Baroness Jones commented on the particularly high standard of the competition , before announcing the winners of the various awards : Best Speaker , Anna-Rose Thomas , Treorchy Comprehensive School Best Questioner Lewis McCormick , Archbishop Beck Catholic College Best Chairperson Marcus Rapacioli , Haberdashers ’ Aske ’ s Boys ’ School Audience Choice Award Oscar Mustard , Blundell ’ s School Runner Up Team Archbishop Beck Catholic College Winning Team Blundell ’ s School You can view a film of this year ’ s final at esu . org / pscfilm
SUPPORT THIS PROGRAMME
If you would like to find out how you can support the ESU Public Speaking Competition for Schools , please call James Ward on 020 7529 1576 .
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