Public speaking is one of the most significant skills a person can learn throughout their lives. It is the art of communicating ideas and information to an audience in a way that engages, influences, informs and entertains the listeners. Public speaking can be either prepared or impromptu.
Public speaking at Ascham gives students the opportunity to improve their verbal and non-verbal communication skills, speech writing ability, critical thinking and confidence.
The Public Speaking Club is an exciting co-curricular activity at Ascham. It is offered to students in Year 5 who wish to expand on their public speaking skills and boost their confidence to speak in front of an audience. Students will meet once a week and work to develop their communicative and speaking skills through games, activities and speech writing exercises. The club will help students learn how to structure, write and deliver speeches in a fun and engaging way.
The Communication Skills Club is offered to students in Year 6 who want to build their confidence and presenting skills in a supportive, engaging and fun environment. This course is an introduction to the Trinity College London Communications Skills Syllabus, which is available to students from Year 7.
Selected Senior School students participate in a range of inter-school and Australia-wide competitions and festivals such as Rostrum Voice of Youth, Junior Secondary Speaking Award (formally Legacy), Plain English Speaking Competition, Sydney Eisteddfod and the IGSA Festival of Speech. Students are selected by an audition process at the start of Term 1.
The Communication Skills program also provides students an opportunity study a wide range of activities such as voice, public speaking, social communication, interview skills, presentation design and negotiation. The curriculum aims to improve communication skills, develop performance techniques, boost confidence and the lessons are tailored to the individual student’s needs. Throughout the year there are many opportunities for pupils to showcase their skills. Students are prepared for eisteddfods, public speaking competitions and presentation evenings within the School and wider community, and have the opportunity to undertake Trinity College London examinations. Trinity College London is an internationally recognised examination board, and students may present for a Performance Certificate or Associate Diploma in Years 11 or 12. Examinations and eisteddfods are elective and many students simply study Communication Skills to gain greater confidence, develop independent thinking, strengthen communicative skills and, of course, to have fun!
The benefits of public speaking reach beyond school, as the skills developed can be applied in all forms of speaking in front of any sort of audience throughout ones’ career and life.
In addition to the Student code of conduct, Public Speaking students are:
Students are selected for Public Speaking Competitions via an audition process. Auditions are held at the start of Term 1 and are open to all students in the Senior School.
If students are selected to represent Ascham at a Public Speaking Competition, a fee will be charged to cover competition entry and preparation classes leading up to the event.
Students interested in the Year 5 Public Speaking Club or Senior School Communication Skills course can be registered through the enrolment forms on the side of this page.
Ascham Senior School girls compete throughout the year in a number of State and nationwide competitions. Although each event differs, all competitions focus to build verbal and non-verbal communication skills, speech writing ability, critical thinking and confidence in a friendly, competitive and youth focused environment.
Rostrum is an Australia-wide inter-school public speaking competition, which allows students to speak on a range of interesting and challenging topics. This competition is divided into Junior and Senior Divisions. In Term One, Ascham hosts an Eastern Suburbs local heat with more than one hundred students from local schools attending to compete. Rostrum has organised the Voice of Youth speaking competition since 1975 with the aim to contribute to the welfare and personal growth of Australia’s youth.
The Plain English Award, run by the NSW Government’s The Arts Unit, takes place in Term Two and aims to encourage the use of clear and effective spoken English in Senior Secondary School students across NSW. Since its inception in 1978, confidence and the development of speech-writing and public speaking skills have been their main focus. This competition includes both prepared and impromptu speaking.
The Dame Enid Lyons Oratory Competition takes place in Term Two. It is an impromptu speaking competition between representatives of girls’ schools in NSW.
In Term Three, NSW Junior Secondary School students take part in the Junior Secondary Speaking Award (formally called Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award) run by the NSW Government’s The Arts Unit. This competition was developed in 1995 with the aim to build the confidence, speech writing and public speaking skills of students under the age of 14 years. This competition includes both prepared and impromptu speaking.
Each year, Ascham Senior School girls compete at the Sydney Eisteddfod Prepared and Impromptu Speech sections across a variety of age groups. The Eisteddfod is an excellent opportunity for students to exercise their Public Speaking skills in front of a larger audience and receive feedback from an external adjudicator.
The IGSA Festival of Speech takes place in Term Four. Around 27 schools participate in this competition and students have the opportunity to perform in public speaking, current affairs and religious and ethical questions.
Auditions for the Public Speaking Team take place in Term 1. The audition requires girls to present an improvised speech on a given topic.
Team members represent Ascham in at least one inter-school Public Speaking Competition during the year. They will also present their speeches at an annual Public Speaking Soiree, as well as the Sydney Eisteddfod. They will be required to write, edit and practice their speeches leading up to the competition.
The Rostrum Voice of Youth, Plain English Speaking Award, Junior Secondary Speaking Award (JSSA), IGSA Festival of Speech and Sydney Eisteddfod.
The girls will all have training sessions, write drafts and edit speeches as they prepare for their particular competition.
Team members are charged a fee to cover training and competition entry.
Yes. Girls are encouraged to enrol in a weekly Communication Skills lesson. The Trinity College of London Communication Skills syllabus is an excellent way for girls to enhance speech writing and presentation skills. All girls who audition are also encouraged to enter the Sydney Eisteddfod for Public Speaking. Some training and coaching are provided for all participants in this event.