Listen – we've got something to say
It's a wonder the teachers at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School can get a word in edgeways when so many students have the gift of the gab.
In the past week, the Anglican-run comprehensive in Bristol has seen two boys take the top prizes in very different speaking events.
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Duncan Harrison, 15, carried off the title in the BBC 2 programme The Speaker while Jonathan Goddard, 17, won the established Bristol schools after-dinner contest known as The Gabblers.
Head teacher Elisabeth Gilpin is very proud of the pair, and of the other students who took part in both contests, including fellow TV finalist Irene Carter.
She said: "I am so delighted for both Duncan and Jonathan. They are both engaging people with lovely personalities. They are talented and confident to speak out. Our school is good at providing students with opportunities and we like students to have their own opinions and be able to express them. We don't just do this in a formal context but throughout the teaching and learning in lessons."
Duncan, whose high points since his televised victory, including meeting Sir David Attenborough and reading out half-time scores at Bristol Rovers, said: "Being on The Speaker was a great experience. I learned a lot. It is fair to say the school encourages students to speak out."
Jonathan, who triumphed at The Gabblers, a traditional public speaking event that has been running in Bristol for 22 years, said: "Taking part in the Gabbler competition was a great opportunity.
"It was the first time for about seven years that any student from a state school has won the competition."
Comments
by Birbeck, Montpelier
Thursday, May 07 2009, 12:16PM
“I'm not surprised that a small city such as Bristol had the winning speaker in Duncan, and Irene also reached the final. When my then 16-yr-old daughter and I moved from London to Bristol in 2005, she stated that many fellow pupils were very opinionated and self-assured. I too have noted that many parents in my area (has one of the country's biggest concentration of Guardian readers!) speak to their very young children as if they are adults, often asking their opinions and pandering to their needs (furthermore, I'm often I'm baffled as to the sex of the child as I'd never seen so many long-haired little boys).
This liberal attitude appears to be a double-edged sword, and probably a significant reason why Bristol's state schools do so badly, despite probably having many intelligent, confident and articulate students like Duncan and Helen. It must, at times, be exasperating for teachers and rather difficult for State Infant to High schools with large classes to cater for so many 'highly articulate, sure of themselves, very independently-minded' pupils.
However, I am very proud that two Bristolians reached the finals from thousands of contestants.”