Northampton High School's Cerys argues her way into national finals of debating competition

Cerys Cooksammy-Parnell won through to the national final of Chrystall Public Speaking Competition arguing that 16-year-olds should be given the right to vote

Northampton High School hosted the semi-final of the Girls’ Day School Trust’s Chrystall Prize for Public Speaking.

Cerys beat the five other competitors who spoke for seven minutes on a range of subjects including celebrity and talent, to powerful women in patriarchal societies – before responding to questions from the audience.

Judged Dr Kevin Stannard, Director of Innovation & Learning at the GDST said: “The competitors gave impressive and powerful performances that were content-rich giving well- presented and convincing arguments.”

Year 11 students speak for up to seven minutes on their allocated topic. The winner receives a £100 book token.