This month, students from Ely College, North Cambridge Academy and Greater Peterborough UTC (GPUTC) have attended The Speak Out Challenge Finals, hosted at both Anglia Ruskin University Peterborough and Cambridge.
The Speak Out Challenge, organised by Speakers Trust, develops young people’s communication skills, builds their confidence, and empowers them to speak out and be heard.
The Speak Out Challenge Finals are prestigious events allowing students to share their opinions and be heard by a wider audience, including a panel of VIP judges. Five Meridian Trust students have participated across the Cambridge and Peterborough Finals, with Leyah from Ely College scooping up the 2nd place prize and Rhianna from GPUTC placing 4th at the Peterborough Final. Ella, Tarika and Blanka also impressed with their speeches and received significant praise.
Speakers Trust works with over 600 state secondary schools providing young people with practical Oracy skills and delivering flagship Speak Out Challenge programmes for Year 10 students in regions across England. This year alone they have reached more than 35,000 students.
As part of the programme, secondary schools across Meridian Trust accessed a free workshop for 25-30 students from Year 10. The workshops were delivered by Speakers Trust’s expert public speaking trainers, supporting pupils with their Speaking and Listening GCSE and boosting future employability. After the workshop, the schools held an Assembly Final, where students competed to be chosen to represent their school at the Finals events.
Samantha Rasmussen, Oracy Lead at Ely College, said: “Oracy often doesn’t have the national recognition that other skills have across the curriculum but it can be a significant barrier for young people. Speaking with confidence is a skill we use in every facet of our lives so it’s essential that our students get a wide range of experiences to develop their oracy skills and extend the boundaries of their learning outside the classroom. Our students gave a phenomenal set of speeches, delivered with such passion and confidence and with a really powerful message. They were all total pros during the whole afternoon and a joy to have on the programme.”
Blanka, a Year 10 student at Ely College, said “I enjoyed the opportunity to meet new people at the Speak Out Challenge regional final who felt the same about speeches as me. I found it really useful to practice all together in the pre-final workshop. We were all nervous but we could relate to each other. If you have the opportunity to do this, take it!”
Leyah, also a Year 10 student at Ely College, said: “I enjoyed meeting others in the competition and I liked watching everyone doing their speech on the stage and having their moment to shine. Don’t be afraid to have your voice heard!”
