Oracy Week

Testament to our growing culture of oracy, we ran our first Speaking & Listening Week for all pupils.

To end the summer term, students engaged in our first ever Speaking & Listening Week, during which all year groups were given the chance to take part in oracy activities in lessons. Tasks ranged from Year 9 Classicists presenting on different Roman emperors to Year 10s debating genetic engineering and A Level Politics students giving their views on the political philosophies of Robert Nozick and Ayn Rand. Pupils also got involved with ‘whiteboard debates’ sharing their views in writing – a great starter for students who might be shy about speaking up and sharing multiple perspectives on an issue. Beyond lessons, students were invited to watch a hotly contested show debate, and the whole of Years 7 to 10 attended the English Department’s annual Public Speaking Competition Finals. Congratulations to our winners in each year group:

• Year 7: Georgia on ‘Cheese’
• Year 8: Anjola on ‘Cogito Ergo Sum’
• Year 9: Marina on ‘Embracing Vulnerability’
• Year 10: Sophie on ‘Transport Etiquette’

Finally, the day after the general election, each form group had the chance to discuss and debate the merits of first past the post, the current voting age in the UK, and which well-known figures would make the best political leaders. Many animated discussions were had over the course of an action-packed week!