In previous years, Year 4 have taken part in public speaking workshops and a competition against other schools. Now, all Lawford Mead pupils in Year 2 to 6 are taught public speaking through the Mighty Oak programme. Year 6 have just spent 5 weeks taking part in public speaking lessons and then performed to an audience of peers. Children had to write and memorise a short speech about something they were passionate about and then speak to an audience of 60 (including a special guest from Mighty Oak). They showed fantastic confidence and the skills of eye contact, gesture, space and voice they had been learning and developing.

We are very proud of you Year 6! You an inspiration to the next pupils to start their public speaking lessons. There will be many opportunities during the year to keep practising your new skills. Lawford Mead pupils can move onto the next stage of education feeling ready to speak to new people and audiences, fluently and with confidence.

Nicky Browne from Mighty Oak gave the following feedback...

“What a truly wonderful, inspiring and humbling experience this morning was. I watched about 60 children stand, alone, no notes, equipped only with the speech they had created, in front of a 'peer audience' of approximately 65. I was very impressed by this wonderful group of young people. Standing in front of a live peer audience is challenging; not only did each child succeed in doing this, the majority went on to remember all they had been taught. It was a real privilege for me to see the programme being taught with such care and attention. One could see that the children had been very well prepared. They clearly know how to create a speech and how to use their public speaking tools. All that remains to be done now is to take as many opportunities as possible to consolidate this learning.”