Beyond our curriculum, Eaton Square focuses on nurturing skills essential in the future.
Public Speaking
Public speaking and debating are highly valued skills at Eaton Square Prep School. Our focus on spoken communication, critical thinking, and current affairs allows our children to be both confident and empathetic. We believe that teaching oracy will give them a significant boost as they move to senior school and beyond.
Class Assemblies
Every child from Reception to Year 6 participates in an annual class assembly. Covering topics such as ‘Mountains’ and ‘Lunar New Year’, these assemblies provide early exposure to public speaking in front of an audience at St Michael’s Church. They have also driven well-supported school projects like Skcin’s Sun Safe Schools and the RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch, demonstrating our commitment to public speaking in context.
Debating Club
Our popular Debating Club for Years 5 and 6 offers the chance to learn parliamentary debating. Club members compete in inter-school competitions, such as The Cicero Cup by The Noisy Classroom. In recent years, the team has also competed at The Sir Winston Churchill Public Speaking Competition at Blenheim Palace, The Prep Schools’ Public Speaking Competition at Epsom College, and The Debating Day Competition at The Oratory. Eaton Square Prep School also hosted the inaugural Dukes Debating Festival in partnership with Dukes Education. In the Summer Term, our Debating Club visits Parliament for a guided tour and workshop.
Leadership and Recognition
Our Debating Club is led by two appointed Debating Captains in Year 6. They help run weekly meetings and prepare for competitions, providing further opportunities for growth and personal development. We celebrate achievement in this area by awarding The Lemardeley Cup and The Lopez-Geha Cup at Prize Giving, recognising individual contributions to public speaking and debating.
TEDx Programme
At Eaton Square Prep School, we offer our children a global platform through our TEDx programme, which began in 2020. We are delighted to have our own TEDx licence. After a challenging selection process, we choose children in Years 5 and 6 to speak to an audience at St Michael’s Church. Their talks are filmed, submitted to TEDx, and shown to the world on YouTube. Our talented TEDx speakers have gained over 6 million views thus far.
Future Initiatives
Looking ahead, there are many new and exciting initiatives in the pipeline. We aim to further engage with Parliament and build more partnerships with other schools. We will continue developing our children’s current affairs knowledge, helping them process global events.
