On January 18th, 60 Year 10 pupils took part in the Jack Petchey Workshop. This was an amazing opportunity for the students as they were able to work on key skills for public speaking. The students enjoyed their day as it also enabled them to speak about topics which they were extremely passionate about. Towards the end of the workshop, students were selected to represent St Mary Magdalene for the regional competitions which took place on 22nd February 2024.

Students in Year 8 visited the Guildhall Art Gallery as part of the Jack Petchey Culturally Speaking Programme. This involved a guided tour of the gallery and an exploration of the stories, themes and issues behind various pieces of art. This was followed by a workshop where students took part in an oracy workshop to develop their public speaking skills by an expert trainer. Students wrote fantastic speeches on the issues they explored on their visit to the Guildhall Art Gallery on topics including colonialism, identity and love. Both events were highly enjoyable and all students represented our school excellently. They each received a certificate for this achievement.