Students from Trinity School in Teignmouth have impressed Rotarians with their ‘outstanding talent’ in the recent finals of this year’s ‘Junior Speak’ competition.

Youngsters in Years 4, 5 and 6 demonstrated ‘confidence, knowledge and community spirit’ as they presented ‘well-researched and informative talks’ on subjects as diverse as boxer dogs and stem cell transplants.

James Shill, who won the Year 4 competition last year, was again victorious in the Year 5 contest with a captivating talk on the Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary. He was also awarded the Wedgwood Cup for most entertaining delivery. The Year 5 runner-up was Lilia Broom for her engaging exploration of Pompeii.

Florance Foran also continued in her winning ways. After winning in Year 5 last year with a talk about ants, this year she wowed the judges with an informative presentation on Moor Trees and its work for Dartmoor’s ecology. Runner up in Year 6 was Hugo Magill for his personal account of the Antony Nolan Trust’s vital efforts in stem cell transplants for blood cancers and disorders.

In Year 4, Jess Miles secured first place with a dynamic talk on sport while Isabelle Collison was named runner up after delighting the audience with a humorous presentation on boxer dogs.

The annual Rotary Junior Speak competition provides children aged between 8 and 11 with the opportunity to explore a subject and share their knowledge with a public audience. In Years 4 and 5, children can pick their own topic while in Year 6, pupils are asked to research and present a talk on a charity that inspires them.

‘This year’s event proved to be both engaging and thought-provoking,’ a Teignmouth Rotary Club spokesperson said. All the pupils who stepped onto the stage impressed with well-researched, informative talks, many enhanced by striking photographs and videos in highly professional PowerPoint presentations. Several children presented without notes, relying only on prompt cards and making direct eye contact with the audience—skills that would impress in any adult speaker.