Chloe and I were privileged to speak at the PiXL Main Meeting in Central Hall, Westminster, last Thursday. This was an incredible opportunity for us to share a student’s perspective of the new GCSEs, particularly English. It was a chance to express our views on which PiXL strategies best helped us to prepare for exams, and to thank PiXL for their support.

Despite being incredibly nervous about speaking to a 2,000-strong audience, I was put at ease by the lively atmosphere of the event, where it was delightful to see so many enthusiastic leaders in one place! Immediately, we were warmly welcomed by the PiXL team, who helped us to rehearse on the stage. At first, it was very daunting to practise speaking in such a grand venue, but eventually I was able to acclimatise to my immense surroundings. After a few pastries and many rehearsals, I felt ready to face the challenge.

In all honesty, my final speech was a blur! It was overwhelming, yet I was able to deliver my speech as well as I had done in rehearsals. Receiving the applause felt surreal, but also greatly gratifying, as I knew that I had overcome my anxiety and accomplished my fear of public speaking. Chloe also gave an exceptional speech, and we left the stage filled with pride. We were then fortunate to listen to inspirational speakers, who shared their passion for education.

I would like to thank Mrs Warwick and PiXL for giving us the means to not only develop our confidence, but also to challenge ourselves to better our oracy, resilience and communication skills. This event has enabled me to extend myself, and I could not be more grateful to have been able to share my educational experience with the incredible leaders at PiXL.

Ceri Jones, Year 12

Ceri and Chloe's fantastic speech can be seen in full below.