Harper Green Students Shine at Youth Speaks Public Speaking Competition
Thursday, 29th January 2026
Students from Harper Green School recently represented the school with confidence and professionalism at their first Youth Speaks public speaking competition, held at Bridgewater School.
On Monday, 26 January 2026, three Year 8 students, Hollie, Meghety and Haleema, took part in the competition, having spent several weeks writing, practising and refining their roles in preparation. Accompanied by Mrs Adams and Mrs Hayes, the students delivered a powerful and thought-provoking presentation on The Decline in Face-to-Face Socialising Among the Younger Generation, a topic that strongly resonated with the audience.
Hollie delivered an engaging speech and was the only competitor on the day to speak completely off script, an impressive achievement for her first time taking part. Haleema led the group with confidence, demonstrating strong eye contact and presence, while Meghety brought the performance to a calm and confident conclusion.
All three students were excellent ambassadors for Harper Green School, demonstrating the school’s values throughout the event and receiving many compliments on their public speaking skills, topic choice and conduct.
Following the success of the competition, Harper Green School is exploring the launch of a public speaking club to further develop students’ oracy skills, resilience and confidence. The school looks forward to taking part in future Youth Speaks competitions run by the Rotary Club.
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