The power of the spoken word goes under the spotlight

Rugeley school’s talented pupils in national spotlight 

The Hart School in Rugeley is once again celebrating the success of one of its talented pupils – this time in a national public speaking competition.

In a contest that was open to all Sixth Forms in Creative Education Trust schools across the country, 18-year-old Eddie Jenkins (pictured far left) was the Hart’s Sixth Form finalist.

Preliminary rounds were held at individual schools and the final, at the beautiful Victorian building of Nottingham Guild Hall, saw finalists tasked with delivering a 10 minute speech on the theme of “People get ready”.

And while he just missed out on the top spot, Eddie was the proud runner up and also won high praise from a panel of judges, which included Jim Carroll of BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty), one of the world’s most successful advertising agencies that’s worked with huge brands like Levi’s, Audi and Barclays.

Wit and ingenuity of Rugeley pupils singled out

Judges commended the Rugeley teenager’s “wit and ingenuity” in delivering his speech which incorporated the topics of Brexit, the environment and, ultimately, how society needs to get ready to come together.

Head of Sixth Form Ben Brennan said: “The old adage that the pen is mightier than the sword serves to highlight the power that words have, whether written or spoken.

“And the ability to speak confidently in public as well as effectively delivering a message to your audience is not only an important life skill but a powerful communication tool for our pupils to transfer into the world of work when they leave us.

“We’re incredibly proud of Eddie who’s already a talented public speaker. We will look on with interest and intrigue to see where his impressive skills takes him in his future career.”

Sixth form strengths

The annual public speaking competition for Creative Education Trust’s Sixth Formers runs alongside an annual essay writing contest.

The Hart School is part of network of 17 schools run by the Trust across the East and West Midlands and on the East coast which collectively educates 13,500 children and in the last couple of years has invested heavily in improving both its facilities and resources.

Just one of The Hart’s Sixth Form strengths is that it offers a bespoke curriculum for each new teenage cohort as a result of listening to pupils’ career aspirations and goals.