English Speaking Union

On Thursday 13^th March, Chailey School hosted the prestigious Regional Final of the English Speaking Union’s public speaking competition.

Students in both Year 10 and Year 11 had thoroughly prepared for the evening, anticipating stiff competition from the other participating schools: St Edmunds, Uckfield, and Roedean. With two teams in the competition, students had worked tirelessly together to ensure they were well-prepared for the presentations.

The three roles of the competition include chair, questioner and speaker. In any competition, the chair and questioner will pair with a speaker from another school to conduct the presentation. Ahead of the main debates, therefore, students were given time to meet their competitors and delve into their topics and interests in order to inform the final debate.

To start, Bill and Greg took the stage as chair and questioner. Bill’s gregarious nature immediately settled the audience and welcomed them to the final. By no means an easy feat, it was impressive to see Bill chair the conversation with such ease. Following the speaker’s presentation on social media, Greg thrived in his role where he asked probing questions, and was keen to develop and provide further insight into the areas touched on.

This was quickly followed by our Year 11 speaker, Stanley. It was immediately clear to the audience that his speech – based on the statement ‘Political leaders should be more accountable to young citizens’ - was an area close to his heart. Arguing that young voices are necessary for improved democracy, that the power of the vote should be awarded to those sixteen and above, and that it is time to allow the youth to support an improved future, Stanley confidently shared his concerns about the current political landscape and his solutions. It was certainly inspiring for the audience.

Next up were our Year 11 chair and questioner team: George and Kip. Previously described by judges as ‘most charismatic’ and ‘best duo’, the two stepped into their roles and were outstanding. George guided the audience in their applause, ensured that timings were followed, and was able to summarise astutely the key issues the speaker presented in their speech. Kip, the Year 11 questioner, took to the stage to question the speaker on their opinions around whether free speech should really mean free speech. Insightful and pragmatic, Kip’s questions unravelled the complexities of the opposition’s speech. He clearly guided the audience through Donald Trump’s use of social media platforms and the incitement of violence, and opened the debate into broader terms. By highlighting additional areas of the argument, it was clear that Kip had supported the audience to gain a broader understanding of the topic.

Finally, Evie stood as our Year 10 speaker. Despite taking the role of final speaker, we could not have been prouder when she confidently delivered a passionate speech about the extent to which social media has become a powerful tool in shaping minds. With research, anecdotes, and importantly, nuanced opinion, Evie’s speech was a powerful conclusion to the evening. It revealed the issues with allowing ourselves to be satisfied with what is shown on social media without questioning it, how political leaders are manipulating society, and the dangers of social media algorithms in creating echo chambers. Her overall intent and core question remained with us long after the evening: do we want to remain blinded by what is presented online, or should we be more active in ensuring we do not become biased – and ultimately ignorant – towards big issues that shape society as a whole.

Throughout the evening, the other schools were worthy competitors and completed presentations on a range of topics including free speech, the power of art and literature, motherhood, and social media. The competition had been completed, and all that was left was the final decision. Only one team could progress to the Grand Final. All audience members knew that it would be close as the standard of all teams was high.

The judges took their time deliberating, and returned after a lengthy wait. We were thrilled when they announced that ‘Best Questioner’ of the evening had been awarded to Kip. He had been a standout student in this role and was described as ‘not being afraid to tackle difficult issues’. Congratulations.

Despite Roedean taking first place, our Chailey Year 11 team were awarded runners up. This is an incredible result and we are very proud of all our participating students. Many staff had stayed to support them and our thanks to all parents who came to support the teams as well.

We look forward to next year, when we hope our Year 10 team will take the floor once again and some current Year 9 students can also join the ranks.

Congratulations George, Stanley, Kip, Bill, Greg, and Evie for all your hard work. It really paid off as you were outstanding!