Burgess Hill School for Girls were presented with the winner’s trophy at the English-Speaking Union’s (ESU) Brighton, Hove & District Branch Final of their Schools’ Public Speaking Competition on Thursday 25th February.
Burgess Hill School were joined by teams from Downlands Community School in Hassocks, Priory School in Lewes, and two teams from Ardingly College.
Burgess Hill’s speaker, Elizabeth Cody, Year 11, spoke passionately about how the right to protest peacefully is a fundamental right in a democratic society. She was unfazed by some difficult and controversial questions from the audience and rival team Ardingly College ‘B’, who were the runners up in the competition.
Rowena Henley and Madeleine Whelan, both in Year 11 at Burgess Hill School, were joined by the student Speaker for Downlands Community School. Rowena, as Chairperson, spoke in a clear and confident manner, introducing their guest, and she led the discussion well. Madeleine excelled as Questioner with her thoughtful and persuasive questions against the argument that voting should be compulsory.
The competitors were judged by Dawn Davidson, a Parliamentary candidate assessor, Arthur Collins, who had a career in the Foreign Office, and Faynia Williams, an international Theatre and Opera director and a producer and presenter of BBC drama and documentaries.
The event was extra special as it was the ESU’s fiftieth anniversary of running their School Public Speaking competitions, which now involves over 400 schools in the UK each year. A celebration cake was presented to the ESU members on behalf of Burgess Hill School who hosted this round of the competition. The winners received book tokens and the John Williams (competition founder) Cup.
The Burgess Hill team will go on to compete at the Regional Final to be held in London on Thursday 11th March.
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| The Burgess Hill team receive the Winners’ Cup |
26/02/10
