On Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 February 2024, over 50 Year 10 students took part in Jack Petchey’s “Speak Out” Challenge. This was held in the school’s library, but delivered by Hilary from The Speakers’ Trust. Students spent the morning engaging with a range of activities to develop their confidence, fuel their ideas and improve their ability to formulate a clear and concise argument. Students were also encouraged to explore how to structure their work effectively and perform a speech without the limitation of paper notes.
During both afternoons, students individually spoke about a topic that they were passionate about. These included: ‘Why I love Books’, ‘Onions’ and ‘The Power of the Number 7’. They performed in front of a panel of judges, who chose winners.
The winners, in no particular order, were:
Olivia B
Scarlett C
Katie H
Viyara K
Anastasiya L
Lily R
Matilda S
Zara T
These winners then competed at the School Final, at their Year 10 Assembly, in front of their whole Year Group, Form Tutor, Head of Year and other invited staff on Wednesday 28 February 2024. They all performed with composure and confidence and were captivating. The judges had a tough decision to make. Eventually the winners: Scarlett C and Matilda S were chosen to represent Tolworth Girls’ School & Sixth Form at the Regional Final on Wednesday 13 March 2024 at Richard Challoner School.
Our Year 10s loved the experience. They were able to grow in confidence and have the skills that will help them in any of their future pathways.
“When doing the Jack Petchey workshop it enabled me to feel more confident speaking out to my peers. It also helped me to think on the spot and get more creative. Before performing, I was nervous in case I would forget my speech, but when I started to speak I felt more relaxed as I knew my friends were supporting me. I was really happy when I found out I got through to the regionals and get to read my speech again.”
-Matilda S 10S
