Rhetoric Cup Final
Pupils in L5 gathered in the Hive Lecture Theatre on Thursday 29th June for the annual Rhetoric Cup final.
This annual event, which has been running since the 1960s, requires each L5 student to deliver a speech on a topic of their choice. A finalist is selected from each English class to deliver their speech to an audience of their peers, teachers, and an external adjudicator.
This year, the audience enjoyed a range of speeches on topics ranging from ‘Girlhood and aesthetics in Little Women’ to ‘Why it’s OK to be Average’. After much deliberation, our guest adjudicator – public-speaking expert Nicola Scannell – awarded first prize to for her speech which asked, ‘Why do English Teachers Over-Analyse Texts?’
Dr Mairéad McKendry, Head of English said: “The Rhetoric Cup Final is always one of the most memorable dates in the Headington Calendar and this year was no exception.
“Our finalists spoke with admirable passion and poise: no mean feat in front of a packed lecture theatre!”
