What is your biggest passion and how do you persuade others to share in it?

That was the tough challenge facing young competitors from Chilton Primary at the annual Viking Academy Trust public speaking competition.

The topic was called Pitch Your Passion and it was based on a segment from broadcaster Romesh Ranganathan’s popular Radio 2 show.

Children had two minutes to describe their passion and convince the audience and a panel of judges that theirs was the best, with heartfelt performances covering a diverse range of subjects from sloths to rugby, from crocheting to the art of relaxation.

The final at The Royal Harbour Academy in Ramsgate followed an in-house competition for each of the Trust partner schools – Upton Juniors in Broadstairs, Ramsgate Arts Primary, and Chilton.

The qualifiers resulted in each school selecting four pupils to represent their school – two from Year 3 and Year4, and two from Year 5 and Year 6.

Their performances were judged on content and ideas, clarity, expression and audience engagement – the feedback was very positive and every participant was congratulated for the way they put across their speeches.

The standard of content and performance was high and picking the best was a tough task – after much deliberation the results were announced.

In the Year 3 and 4 competition, third place went to Joshua (Chilton), second place to Jaxon (Chilton) and first place to Robyn (Upton).

In the Year 5 and 6 competition third place went to Remy (RAPS), second place to Avie (Chilton) and first place Matilda (RAPS).

Chilton Primary’s Deputy Head of School Hannah Cheshire once again co-ordinated the challenge. She said: “We were extremely proud of all the children who took part in the competition.

“Oracy – confidence in communicating, speaking and listening - plays a central part in the curriculum at all three schools.

“An excellent oracy curriculum can boost children's well-being, confidence, academic ability and even correlates to future employability.

“We believe each and every child should be given the oracy skills to enable them to have the confidence to voice their opinions in a variety of scenarios.”

Michaela Lewis, Viking Academy Trust Executive Head Teacher, added: “This year’s final showcased young candidates who performed with mature public speaking skills.

“The speeches were passionate, compelling and impressive in their own special ways. It is a tough challenge to stand up and make a presentation in front of an audience – our speakers engaged so well with their passionate performances and determined and enthusiastic manner.

“Communication and inter-personal skills breed self-confidence and are vital for our pupils on their educational pathways into adulthood. The annual Speaker Challenge is a fantastic platform and an important part of oracy learning and development in the Viking Academy Trust.”