A team of St Laurence pupils used their way with words to win the district finals of the Rotary’s Intermediate Youth Speaks competition.

The three Year Nine pupils took part in the event at the Standerwick Centre near Frome last month and won a certificate and medals after their topic ‘language’ earned them first place.

The competition aims to develop speaking and presentation skills in young people and competitors take on the roles of chairman, speaker, and proposer of vote of thanks.

Six school teams of three, aged 11 to 13, took part and St Laurence pupils Eleanor Cousins-Brown took on the role of speaker, Finn Robertson as proposer of the vote of thanks, and Maia Campbell-Lewis, who has recently moved to Prior Park College in Bath, as the chair.

The team talked about how the English language has changed and adapted to modern society and how slang is infiltrating our language.

Eleanor, who also won a trophy as best speaker, said: “I think it’s a really nice way to recognise the work we have put in. The most important thing is that we get to keep going. We have enjoyed it so much that we’re glad we get to continue having fun in the competition.”

St Laurence English teacher Ruth Archer has mentored the team since October last year.

She said: “They are incredibly articulate and have developed as a team and really complement each other.”