Eight out of ten Year 6 pupils at Kingswood Prep School in Bath say they feel confident speaking in front of an audience, following years of opportunities to develop their communication and presentation skills.
A recent survey of 71 Year 6 pupils found that 80% felt confident or extremely confident speaking in front of an audience, while 72% felt confident or extremely confident giving a presentation. The findings compare favourably with research from the National Literacy Trust, which found that just 40% of children and young people felt confident speaking in front of an audience and 47% giving presentations.
At Kingswood Prep, public speaking is introduced from the age of three, with pupils encouraged to share ideas, perform, explain and present throughout their school life. In the Year 6 survey, 75% of pupils agreed or strongly agreed that speaking in front of others had become a normal part of school life.
Building confidence from an early age
The journey begins in Lower Preschool with Spill the Beans, where children bring in photographs of something they have enjoyed doing at the weekend and share their experiences with classmates.
In Reception, Show and Tell helps children become comfortable speaking to a group, while Year 1 pupils create wildlife documentaries and Year 2 children present their ideas for protecting the River Avon or explain vehicles they have designed.
Older pupils develop their skills through activities including Poetry Out Loud, entrepreneurial pitches, courtroom debates and presentations on environmental and social issues.
Year 4 pupils develop sustainable business ideas before pitching them to Year 9 pupils at the Senior School, while Year 5 children take part in courtroom debates, researching arguments and responding to opposing views.
In Year 6, pupils design apps to address social issues and take part in a ‘Dragons’ Den’-style challenge, planning a day trip before pitching their proposals to teachers.
Public speaking also provides opportunities to develop empathy and understanding. Year 5 pupils with ADHD or other special educational needs can choose to explain their individual challenges and strengths to classmates, while Year 6 pupils work with younger children to create board games and teach them how to play.
Pupils recognise the benefits
One Year 6 pupil said, “I used to be quite nervous about speaking in front of people, but Kingswood has many opportunities to present your ideas and speak in front of people. Kingswood has helped me grow in confidence, and I’m now able to share my ideas without worrying if I’m doing something wrong.”
Another pupil explained how their growing confidence had helped outside school, saying, “Speaking and presenting has helped me massively to gain confidence on the football pitch, eventually leading to me becoming captain.”
Helen D’Souza, Assistant Head Academic at Kingswood Prep School, said, “Being able to communicate ideas clearly and confidently is an important skill for children to develop, but confidence in speaking doesn’t simply appear when pupils reach secondary school. At Kingswood Prep, we deliberately build these opportunities into children’s experiences from a very young age.
“What is particularly valuable is the range of situations in which pupils are asked to communicate. They might be sharing a weekend story with their classmates, performing a poem, explaining something personal to their peers, pitching an idea to a teacher or teaching a younger child how to play a game.
“In a world where so much communication now takes place through screens, giving children the confidence and experience to stand up, speak to a group, listen and respond is more important than ever.”
For more information, visit www.kingswood.bath.sch.uk
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