In this blog we hear from Sophie Torrent, Director of Drama at 'Trinity Champion Centre' Lady Eleanor Holles School, about how their students build confidence and transferable skills through taking part in Communication Skills exams.
Our Communication Skills delivery is offered throughout the academic year, we run weekly 30-minute lessons, working around the school day.
Students come to us for Communication Skills for a range of reasons. This could be to build confidence or increase their public speaking and debating skills. Sometimes we have students applying for Oxford or Cambridge Universities that come to us to develop interview technique. There have also been occasions where we have felt, as a team, that a student would benefit from these sessions. In these cases, we discuss the exams as an option with the pupil in a supportive manner and then contact the parent for further clarity. Some students do study both Speech & Drama and Communication Skills, but this is rare. Preparing for the exams provides an opportunity for those who may not be interested in performing to excel in their own way.
Our main aim when delivering Communication Skills exams is that the lessons must be fun! There is a plethora of activities you can do to build presentation skills, particularly if you teach in a pair, that can enhance students’ learning. As a team we really enjoy sharing these methods in our weekly meetings.
At the earlier grades (e.g. Grade 3 and Grade 4) we encourage students to discuss their own interests, hobbies and experiences. This allows them to take ownership over the material they are discussing and gives them a platform to begin to explore their ideas and opinions about the world. This increases their confidence in themselves and their perspective. As we begin work on these exams, we set them a range of tasks. These can include having a box of props that they haven’t seen before and using the skills of persuasion to sell the product. Not only is this fun, but it allows the pupil to enjoy the process of building up vocabulary. Another example for older students is to find a range of articles and ask the pupil to change the intended audience through their voice and language. This acts as a starter activity and gets the student prepared well for the syllabus content.
For the higher grades, we often pair students up to debate interesting topics. A one-minute challenge is a great way of ensuring pupils are concise and clear with their language, not adding too many idiosyncrasies. Some examples of a one-minute challenge are:
- Why Cats Are Better Than Dogs – Argue your case in 60 seconds!
- The Best Superpower to Have – Explain why your chosen superpower is the best one.
- Convince Us That Pineapple Belongs on Pizza – Make your case for this controversial pizza topping.
Our students often enjoy preparing for real life situations. For example, Grade 6 involves a mock job interview, this allows students to start to address topics which are likely to come up in future interviews, supporting them to enter the world of work with an ability to discuss their experiences and analyse their strengths.
We find that the confidence students build through their Communication Skills exams can support with other areas of school life such as presentations in other lessons. For example, as a school we run a House Debating Competition and some students have worked on their speeches in their Communication Skills lessons, focusing on style of delivery, strength of argument, and overall delivery. It’s great to see the improvement in the final debate!
At LEH, we provide an enrichment programme designed to support Oxbridge candidates through extensive reading, personalised mentoring, and admissions test preparation. In the past, our Communication Skills teachers have assisted students with interview techniques, focusing on areas such as physical presence, vocal delivery, subject expertise, adaptability to new ideas, and the ability to develop and defend an argument.
The Trinity Communication Skills exams are an excellent way to help our students grow into confident women of the future. I've witnessed many Year 7 pupils enter senior school shy and reserved, but by the time they leave in Year 13, they are self-assured and capable of expressing themselves with confidence and poise in any situation they encounter.
We are thrilled that so many students participate in these lessons gaining valuable transferable skills from their teachers.
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