Pupils ‘speak out’ to take second competition win

For the second year running, Year 6 pupils from North Wootton Academy won the Soroptimist International of King’s Lynn’s Public Speaking competition.Held last month, their winning talk was on ‘Happiness and Emotions’ and the judges thought it was an excellent presentation.
Eight schools took part, with Gaywood Primary School finishing runners-up with a presentation on ‘How one person can make a difference in their community’. Walpole Cross Keys Primary was placed third with ‘How can AI be of assistance in the classroom’.

This was the 13th competition run by the Lynn Soroptimists and guests included West Norfolk Mayor, Paul Bland, and the London Anglia Regional Soroptimist president Sharon Richardson. Judges Kerry Heathcote, deputy chief executive of the College of West Anglia, Sharon Richardson and Olly Mackett, deputy headteacher at West Walton’s Marshland High School, had a difficult task selecting a winner.Each team comprised a proposer, main speaker and concluder and the topic questions related to the vision and values of soroptimism. Teams used a variety of means to engage with each other and the audience, made up of teachers, parents, supporters and soroptimist club members.The winners were presented with the Benita Haynes Shield, in memory of a former King’s Lynn Soroptimist member, and there were medals for the top three teams. In a change from previous years, where a cheque was given to the winning schools, each child in the winning teams received a voucher. All competitors will also receive a certificate of participation.The awards were presented by the mayor and the Soroptimist Lynn club president Karen Wadham.