Young people are learning the power of speaking confidently in public.
Year 2 to 6 pupils at Vita et Pax Preparatory School, in Southgate, are taking part in public speaking workshops to boost their confidence when presenting themselves to others.
The first workshop taught Year 2, 3 and 4 pupils about speaking up and Year 5 and 6 pupils interview skills and talking about themselves.
The sessions will be held every term to get pupils accustomed to public speaking.
Headteacher Allana Gay said: “Our children are confident, but I want them to be confident yet humble when speaking to adults or when speaking about themselves. I want them to feel confident standing up in front of an audience, talking about what empowers them.
“The aim is that by the time our children get to Year 4, they are confident to speak in front of any audience.
“Oracy is really important. We will be introducing far more reading and reporting and in film club pupils will be able to film their own monologues.
“We have already seen vocabulary improve as a result of the workshops. It has also been good to see some really quiet souls take that opportunity to have everyone listen to them. Every child is getting the opportunity to speak about something they really love.
“This is something different to taking part in a performance as they are taking the stage on their own without the support of a group of cast members. When you do public speaking, you need a totally different mindset and so we are working on that with our children.
“Everybody at our school has to have their own voice and to feel confident to use that voice. We are giving them the technical knowledge to be able to go out there and flourish.”
The school will hold a public speaking event next half-term and give parents an opportunity to see the skills their children are developing.
