A fantastic display of speaking and listening was on show on Thursday night as Featherstone High School, Ealing, played host to a London Regional Heat of the ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition. Fourteen to sixteen-year-old students from in and around the area spoke on topics including ‘The Cruelty of Cartoons’, ‘The Importance of Liberty and Security in Modern Society’ and whether youth really is wasted on the young. Especially memorable was Sabrina from Featherstone High School, who was paired with two students from Harrow School to talk on ‘Why Private Schools Should be Abolished’, which she did with a plomb. The judges had a difficult task and individual awards were handed to Fatima from St Helen’s School (Best Speaker), Ben from Featherstone High School (Best Questioner, pictured), Jake from Kensington Aldridge Academy (Best Chair) and Sabrina from Featherstone High School (Outstanding Personality). Harrow School Team 2 was judged to be the winning team, advancing to the London Regional Final at Dartmouth House on 17 March. Many of the young competitors commented on the confidence that they had gained both at school and socially from taking part. Congratulations to all involved and many thanks to Featherstone High School for hosting the event.
