General

This year a record number of pupils (21) are taking English Speaking Board (ESB) qualifications. These are the equivalent of a Grade 8 in a musical instrument and assess public speaking and communication skills.

Eight pupils took the Advanced Certificate in Spoken English (ACSE) during which they each had to give a presentation on a topic they have researched; introduce and lead a discussion of a newspaper article and present a literary recommendation which includes a prepared reading. In addition, and unique to the ESB, they are also graded on how they contribute to the presentations and discussions of others. The ACSE results are:

The Advanced Certificate in the Language Arts (ACLA) will be taken on 26^th of January and is geared more towards those with a talent for drama. For this exam candidates must prepare a 15 minute presentation which consists of a series of readings linked together with a commentary. They also need to provide a written programme for their talk.

Ian McClary, Head of English and organiser of the ESB programme, commented, “These exams are an excellent way to develop pupils' independent learning skills, together with building their self-confidence and equipping them with important transferable skills for later life. They always come out of the exam saying how much they enjoyed it and with topics are diverse as The Great Train Robbery, The Trial of Oscar Wilde, The Curse of Corporate Language and our modern obssession with the Vampire, it is always a stimulating day.”