CATENIANS PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION 2025

On Sunday 23rd March, three of our students took part in a public speaking competition hosted at Sacred Heart High School and run by the Catenians. This competition is designed to help young people to fulfill their potential and prepare them for the challenges in life. Our girls certainly demonstrated Sacred Heart courage and confidence when they stood up to speak in front of an audience of strangers that included 25 contestants in total, along with their friends and family. Competitors came to the event from Catholic schools and Trusts across the region: from as close as St Mary’s in Forest Hall, to as far away as St Francis Xavier School, Richmond.

The competition was divided into rounds and we were represented at Key Stage 3 by Duha Faiz who spoke about ‘Fashion Waste’; at Key Stage 4 by Leena Ali, who spoke about ‘Food Waste’; and at Key Stage 5 by Jessica Moyo, who spoke about ‘Genocide.’ The standard on the day was exceptional and all 3 Sacred Heart competitors were very impressive, delivering their speeches with passion.

Leena Ali (pictured) in Year 10 told us, “Public speaking has taught me to be more confident when addressing a large group of people and has given me key skills, not only in delivery and vocal projection, but also in creating a coherent and meaningful argument which helps get my thoughts and feelings out to other people. I really enjoyed the diversity of the event and the different topics everyone chose; it served as a really good learning experience for me and I would definitely do it again in the future.”