On the evening of Wednesday 21 March, three Upper School boys took part in the Regional Final of English Speaking Union Churchill Public Speaking Competition by virtue of having won their local round.
The final was held at Magdalene College, Cambridge and the boys enjoyed seeing some of the beautiful buildings and gardens, including the famous Pepys Library, before the event began. Among seven excellent schools, the Bedford School team more than held its own. Harry Hine in the Fourth Form spoke powerfully about the reasons Great Britain is more united than divided. Ethan Ofosu also in the Fourth Form chaired his discussions sensitively, saying how proud he was to be taking part in the competition as the ESU celebrated its centenary. Freddie Pelling in Removes cut courteously to the chase as he questioned a speaker about social proof and confirmation bias. All three boys dealt with complex issues and coped with the pressure of the occasion well.
Although we did not qualify for the national final, this was a great event and the young team can be extremely proud of their performance.