Speaker Out Challenge 2026

On Wednesday morning, seven year 10 students took part in the Speak Out Challenge assembly final.

As the name would suggest, the ‘Speak Out Challenge’ is designed to give teenagers a platform and an opportunity to have their voices heard. The assembly final sees students presenting their speeches before an audience so that the winner and runner-up can be selected. The winner will then go on to present their speech at the Regional Final of the competition.

Following on from the workshop back in March, the students involved have all worked incredibly hard to prepare for the competition by selecting meaningful topics, crafting their speeches, and honing their delivery.

Our year 9 audience listened avidly to the range of topics that the speakers had selected: Ethan explored music’s power to motivate and move us; Jack cautioned against procrastination; Ella urged us not to compare ourselves to others; Chloe spoke about the power of gratitude; Daisy encouraged us not to fear making mistakes; Toby shared his personal connection to the power of music; Arthur encouraged us to focus on what unites us, rather than what divides us.

The speeches were a fantastic example of our students using their voices to impart messages they believe in and were a real testament to not only the preparation they had put in but also to their courage on the day.

The judges were incredibly impressed by the carefully considered and well-crafted speeches as well as the maturity of their delivery.  

Although all seven speakers delivered a fantastic performance, of course there could only be one winner. After deliberation from the judges, Ella has been crowned the winner and will be going on to represent Chailey at the Regional Finals, with Arthur as reserve. A huge congratulations to all assembly finalists and our very best wishes to Ella and Arthur as they prepare for the next stage of the competition.