Perfect preparation and eloquent delivery came to the fore in the final of the 2026 Junior Years Public Speaking Competition.
Each pupil impressed the audience with their confidence and clarity on the subject of ‘My favourite author’.
Congratulations to all our finalists and especially to joint winners Peter and Emilia and runner-up Hamish.
Since the event, our Head of English Many Tevendale has been waxing lyrical about her experience in judging.
She said, “The world is going to be a very much better place in the future, knowing that these young people are all reading so avidly and able to be so articulate about their thoughts and ideas.
“It is the incredible coaching that these pupils get in the classroom right from L1 onwards – building confidence, encouraging reading, and helping them to find their voices – that one day creates professors, lawyers, and leaders. It was humbling to hear from all of them; picking a winner is hard because it is absolutely clear that all of these young people are winners.”