PERSISTENCE, CURIOSITY AND CHALLENGE: STUDENTS EXCEL IN UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY MaPS PROGRAM
07 Jul 2025
...speak your mind
Every girl is a public speaker at PLC Sydney. Whether you’re outgoing or softly spoken, our public speaking program will give you the tools to boost your confidence, to voice your opinions and influence others.
Further skills in negotiation and advocacy can be gained through Mock Law Trial and Model United Nations programs.
Public speaking is a skill that will serve you well for your whole life, no matter what career path you take.
Debating and Public Speaking has always been very important at PLC Sydney as we seek to enable every girl to be a highly capable communicator.
Our girls debate with great success in numerous competitions, including the Archdale Debating Competition, ISDA Competition, AIS Online Debating program, Inter-House Debating Competition and the University of Sydney Debating Tournament.
Further skills in negotiation and advocacy can be gained through Mock Law Trial and Model United Nations programs.
Students also participate and achieve consistently outstanding results in the Rostrum ‘Voice of Youth’ Competition, Legacy Junior Public Speaking Competition, Plain English-Speaking Competition, the United Nations ‘Voice of Youth’ Competition and Eisteddfods. We also enter teams in all sections of the IGSA annual Festival of Speech, having won this competition more than any other school and continue to extend students via national and international speaking and debating competitions.
Our dedicated and heritage listed building, Lyons House, the College’s Centre for the Spoken Word, along with our excellent team of professional Speech tutors, is the beating heart of the program. We aim to remain the largest school-based provider of training in public speaking, speech and communication within Australia.
Whether you’re outgoing or softly spoken, our public speaking program will give you the tools to boost your confidence, to voice your opinions and influence others.
Lyons House, Centre for the Spoken Word
Named after Dame Enid Lyons (1897-1981), Australia's first female federal politician, Lyons House is the College’s speech centre. Students from Kindergarten to Year 12 attend lessons with specialist tutors to enhance their speech and performance skills and every student delivers a public address each year.
PLC Sydney’s speech program prepares students to be confident speakers who effectively articulate their thoughts, knowledge and values to others in a public forum.
The College has a proud history in public speaking forums, with students regularly representing Australia at the Student World Championships, as well as performing strongly in a number of other prestigious competitions:
- Association of Heads of Independent Girls’ Schools (AHIGS) Festival of Speech
- Plain English Speaking Competition
- Legacy Public Speaking Competition
- Rostrum Voice of Youth
- Lions Youth of the Year
- Australian Individual Debating & Public Speaking Championships
- Sydney & Inner West Eisteddfods
- United Nations Public Speaking Competition
Almost 300 students participate in speech classes and sit external speech examinations, with over 60% of students achieving Distinction or High distinction.
The program is vital to the College in developing confident, caring and accomplished young women.
'The young women graduating from PLC Sydney have the ability to listen to the ideas of others and articulate their own ideas clearly and persuasively.' PLC Sydney 2020: A Vision of Excellence.
The young women graduating from PLC Sydney have the ability to listen to the ideas of others and articulate their own ideas clearly and persuasively.
PLC Sydney 2020: A Vision of Excellence
PLC Sydney competes in over four debating competitions for students from Year 6 to Year 12:
- Independent Schools Debating Association (ISDA) Competition
- Archdale Debating Shield Competition
- Macquarie Cup Debating Competition
- University of Sydney Debating Tournament
Our Year 5 students also take part in the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA) Debating Competition and has had outstanding success with both the Junior and Senior debating teams having won the Independent Girls' Schools Association (IGSA) Festival of Speech shield 14 times in its 22 years history.
Our excellent performance record also extends to Public Speaking, with our Years 7 to 12 students participating in:
- Rostrum, Junior and Senior, (February– March)
- Plain English Speaking (May)
- Legacy (July)
- UNYA Voice (September)
- Rotary Public Speaking
- Lions Youth of the Year.
Development opportunities exist through involvement in competitions at Eisteddfods (City of Sydney/Inner West).
Our annual College Public Speaking Challenge has been running for over 40 years.
Each year our girls participate at both the Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship (AIDPSC and Speakfest) which leads to selection and participating at World level at the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships. PLC Sydney has represented Australia annually from 2014–2021, with students placing in the overall top 15 every year.
PLC Sydney provides many many opportunities for girls to get involved in public speaking, to build confidence and have fun with impromptu speaking, as well as develop their ability to present a persuasive argument and their knowledge of current affairs topics, be that through our:
- Speak Up Clubs
- Speech Tuition
- Mock Trial Training
- or the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA).
Model United Nations Assembly
MUNA enables students to engage with other schools across Sydney in debate and discussion of global issues in the spirit of the United Nations. This is the ideal group for those who are passionate about international diplomacy and finding solutions to global issues. Years 10 and 11 students may wish to attend International Model UN opportunities.
Contact
Ms Lynette Hawkey
Head of Speech, Debating & External Public Speaking
T (+612) 9704 5657
E: lhawkey@plc.nsw.edu.au
