Uxbridge College has triumphed in the third stage of a national public speaking competition. The team of three students won the district heats of the National Rotary Youth Speaks competition on Thursday 4 March.
They had already come top in the local and zone heats, and this time won against Chipping Norton School, Mary Hare School and Reading Blue Coat School. They will now compete in regional finals on 13 March.
Sabhya Khan (16), Ismaila Ngum (17) and Muska Nizami (18), who spoke on the subject of 'Slang: Backward or Revolutionary?' are studying AS levels and A2 levels.
Laraine Smith, Principal of Uxbridge College, said: "I am so proud of these students and the way they keep on defeating such incredibly tough opponents. We are a Further Education college which takes students from all backgrounds, so it is a real achievement that our fantastic team has come this far with so many independent schools competing along the way. The National Rotary Youth Speaks competition is not only a terrific opportunity for our students to showcase their talents and express themselves, but for us to be part of the great work this group does in the community."
John Greening, President of the Rotary Club of Elthorne-Hillingdon, said: "They were all fantastic: poised, confident, working brilliantly as a team. This is the first time that we've had a team from our local round going forward to the regional finals and we're all just delighted for them. We wish them further success next week and will be there to cheer them on."
The Uxbridge College team initially triumphed over independent St Helen's School in Northwood at local heats run by the Combined Rotary Clubs of Elthorne-Hillingdon, representing the Rotary Clubs of Elthorne-Hillingdon, Pinner & Uxbridge. There are 29 district finals, leading to 8 regional finals before the national final in May. Almost 2,000 teams enter the competition each year. In the regional final Uxbridge College will be up against teams representing the area including the south-east and west of London, and from Kent through to West Sussex.
The College team's sponsor club is the Rotary Club of Elthorne-Hillingdon.
* Rotary Clubs organise a range of activities for young people including competitions and residential trips - please contact your local club for details.