On Tuesday, 26 November, seven of Year 10's most esteemed students took part in the ESU public speaking competition. We had to write a speech based on a certain topic and present it to seven other schools via Microsoft Teams. We all worked together in preparation for the competition, spending Monday registration period practising. Alexandra helped us research our topic, on the impact of social media on shaping the minds of young people. Anneka, Kaia and I wrote the speech, Luna was our Chairperson who questioned the other schools, Azzmina introduced our school to the other teams and Alpi delivered the speech.

Once we had researched and written our speech, the Year 7s acted as our audience where we had to deliver the speech to them, consider their feedback, which aided our progression in writing this speech, perfecting the speech itself and its execution and delivery. It helped all of us with developing our oracy skills and also our confidence in public speaking, not to mention the knowledge we gained whilst researching the topic. I really enjoyed the team work.  I would also like to thank and sincerely share my appreciation of both Mrs Kyriacou and Miss Chana for their devotion in ensuring all of us were ready for the competition.

Diya Khosla [10Y]

" I thoroughly enjoyed organising Cultural Fusion as it gave me a valuable opportunity to showcase my leadership skills while fostering a sense of community that we can all take pride in. Although it was initially challenging to persuade students to participate and perform, the effort was well worth it. Together, we managed to raise over £200 for Hounslow Food Bank, making the experience both fulfilling and impactful."  

Liya Ludhra [12A]

"Joining Heston Community School this year has been a fantastic experience, and taking part in Cultural Fusion gave me a true sense of belonging. During the event, I had the exciting opportunity to be the main MC, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Although standing in front of a packed hall was nerve-wracking at first, I’m so glad I took on the challenge. It was an unforgettable experience, and I’m already looking forward to participating again next year!" 

Aariz Khan [12B]

"Participating in Cultural Fusion for the first time was an unforgettable experience, and although it will be my last before heading off to university, I’m so glad I got to be part of it. Creating these memories with everyone was truly special. I’m sure our Year 13 bhangra dance had everyone laughing, but it was absolutely worth it!" 

Jose De Brum Pereira [13D]

On Friday, 13 December, 58 Year 10 students took part in the ‘Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge’ workshops, spending the day off timetable to focus on crafting and delivering impactful speeches. The event gave students a unique opportunity to develop their public speaking skills, with expert external facilitators coaching them on how to select meaningful topics and deliver emotive speeches with a positive message. They were supported by Miss Ali and Miss Cator-Wanli, who enjoyed seeing the students outside their comfort zones and in an entirely unique context. They both commented on how impressed they were with the genuine passion of the students for their topics and their positive approach to public speaking. 

Each student chose a topic they were passionate about, ranging from environmental issues to mental health awareness, personal experiences to social justice causes. The facilitators helped our students refine their delivery, providing guidance on tone, voice projection, body language, and structuring a compelling argument. As the day progressed, our students grew in confidence and even those who may have been initially hesitant to speak made an effort to present, helped by their peers, the facilitators and teachers. By the end of the day, students were confidently delivering their speeches, engaging their audience with clarity and emotion.

Our students commented that the day was a refreshing break from the usual school routine, offering them a chance to explore a new skill in an interactive, hands-on way. The external facilitators commented on the encouraging atmosphere of the workshops and how engaged our Year 10s were. They found our students to be respectful but full of personality and energy!

Miss Ali and Miss Cator-Wanli selected Triston [10Y], Alpi [10W], Kaia [10Y], Angad [10Y], Alexandra [10R], and Jasmin [10B] as our winners from the workshops. They will face each other in our in-school final during an assembly on 28 January where a school finalist will be chosen to go forward to the regional final on 25 February. 

When the London Ambulance came in, they talked to us and demonstrated CPR to us. After that, we had a chance to practice performing CPR. The experience was fun and it has made us more confident in our abilities. The London Ambulance had experienced teachers that taught us very well. We also received cool badges to remember the fun day. Eshal Aamir [8W]

The Team took us through step by step on how to do chest compressions on someone. First, we watched a video telling us why it was important for us to learn. In small groups we learnt where to place our hands and how many times we should do it. We were then given a defibrillator training kit that contained two patches to apply and deliver an electrical shock. The London Ambulance staff told us where to put it and what it would do to the unconscious person. I feel that this was an experience I won't forget and will help me to be a lifesaver in the future. Danvir Singh [8G]

I was assigned to a group and met the adults that were going to be training us on how to do CPR and what to do if a person is in cardiac arrest. I would say CPR was relatively easy to learn. It is important, as whenever a person is in cardiac arrest, we know what to do before the ambulance arrives. Asees Kloay [8Y]