At Ivanhoe Girls’, students are encouraged to be active participants in their learning by having a voice and contributing to all areas of school life and the curriculum.  In Junior School, students learn how to communicate with confidence for different occasions such as class led assemblies, church services and when taking new families on School tours. 

The Public Speaking Festival is a formal occasion that enables and celebrates student voice and it epitomises the school motto, “our girls speak for themselves”. 

This festival is one of my favourite events of the year, as students from Years 3-6 demonstrate how little people have big voices that can influence the world. The Public Speaking Festival reminds us of our students’ capacity to engage passionately with current world issues and to offer thoughtful solutions.  Spanning several weeks, this event gives students the opportunity to learn with purpose and engagement which in turn increases their sense of connection and wellbeing.

All students in Years 3-6 write a short speech about any topic of interest and in any genre. This first draft is completed in class so that students draw upon their own ideas without too much adult input.  Then, they refine and practice their speech at home before presenting it to their class. Class teachers assess each speech for delivery, including body language, pace and timing, as well as content and structure. 

Two students from each class are then selected to present their speech to the whole Junior School. This is often at a final end of term assembly to celebrate a great term of learning.

Every year there is a wide diversity of speeches, ranging from informative, persuasive to humorous, and the well-informed topics and confident delivery of speeches in the Performing Arts Centre is seriously impressive. 

Over the years, students have addressed issues ranging from the environment, animals, pets, authors, musicians and even politicians. Unsurprisingly, over the last two years, some speeches have touched on COVID-19 and the challenges of living in a pandemic and Offsite Learning. Others reflected on the importance of being yourself; why people should listen to music when studying; and why we should change the date of Australia Day. 

Listening to students share their passionate ideas and opinions and taking action is at the heart of student-centred learning.  There is no doubt that the Public Speaking Festival enables our youngest students to experience and understand the power of writing and the influence of their voice. Despite their young age or small size, our students have very big voices.

Helen Moore
Director of Curriculum, Learning and Innovation - Junior School