Speech Festival
Little Waltham Speech Festival 2026 – ‘Brave Voices, Big Change’
We are excited to announce that this year’s Little Waltham Speech Festival will take place during the week beginning Monday 16th March. This is a wonderful opportunity for pupils to use their voices and to speak about a topic that matters to them.
The theme of this year’s festival is “Brave Voices, Big Change.” Pupils will be encouraged to share their opinions, talk about ideas they believe in, and inspire others through their words. The festival focuses on developing the confidence to speak up, the perseverance to keep going even when it feels challenging, and the courage to express their ideas to others.
Speaking in front of others is an important life skill. It helps pupils build confidence, communicate clearly, and learn how to present their thoughts and opinions respectfully. We want every child to feel proud of their voice and understand that their words can have a real impact.
What pupils need to do:
- Choose a topic they feel passionate about or would like others to think about.
- Prepare a short speech (around 2 minutes) to present to their class during the festival week.
- Use minimal notes where possible to help them speak naturally. We understand this can feel challenging, and staff will support pupils who need it.
- Be creative! Pupils might share a personal story, suggest a change they would like to see, or talk about a cause or idea they care about.
Whole School Speech Festival Showcase
After the class presentations, two pupils from each year group will be chosen to perform in our Whole School Speech Festival Showcase on Friday 27th March at 9:00am.
We are really looking forward to hearing the pupils’ ideas and seeing them all speak with confidence.