It's a Hat Trick!

We are so proud of our Year 11 Public Speaking Team.   They have just become District Champions in the Public Speaking Competition run by the English Speaking Union and this means that we have won the ESU Public Speaking Cup three years in succession - a triumph!

The Final was held at Queen's College Taunton and among the other schools represented were Chilton Cantelo, Kings College Taunton, Millfield, Wellington and Wells Cathedral School.

Dominic chaired his meeting with wit, confidence and a nice line in self-deprecation, charming his audience and establishing a close and friendly rapport with his Speaker, a young lady from Millfield. Her claim that Beauty contests are degrading to women was challenged by Jeannette who, in a superb display of rhetorical gymnastics, argued that neo- and post-Feminists should honour women who choose to celebrate female empowerment and pride by parading their bodies.

It fell to Ellen to challenge another contemporary cliché, that Family Life is Doomed. After analysing changes in family life over the last half century she argued that social change is inevitable and that new forms of family and community structure should be embraced rather than deplored. She was the only Speaker in the whole competition who had the confidence to speak entirely without notes, an approach greatly appreciated by her audience who felt that she was talking to them rather than just reading out a speech.

Dominic, Ellen and Jeannette made a great impression and we were delighted that the judges shared the general opinion and named them District Champions. We are extremely proud of them and look forward to their next appearance, in the South West Regional Final at Blundell's School on Sunday March 4th.