Our school site was transformed into a bustling hub of advocacy today, as Year 9 learners brought their real-world learning project, ‘What’s Worth Fighting For?’ to life. Inspired by the tradition of Speakers’ Corner, learners presented passionate, persuasive speeches on the causes, beliefs and issues they feel are worth fighting for.
Using various settings across the school site, learners delivered their messages with maturity and conviction. This immersive setup allowed audiences to experience the true energy and purpose of the day, as our young people tackled complex, well-researched topics including knife crime, plastic consumption and the impacts of social media.
This project beautifully reflects our Trivium educational philosophy, reinforcing our commitment to delivering an ‘Education for real life’. Our guest visitors provided a vital external audience, making this an authentic, memorable and empowering experience for our learners. We’re delighted to share some of the incredibly positive feedback received from the community partners and visitors who joined us:
It was such an interesting morning going round listening in on the various groups of pupils. The speakers were animated, engaging and confident. The topics they chose were very varied and well argued. It’s an important skill to be able to speak in public and use persuasion to win an audience round. The other pupils were excellent- listening and asking relevant questions. In fact all the school helped make it a professional, well run project with keeping quiet and respectful when passing the groups during the talks. Well done in organising the day!
Cllr Anne Galloway – Heaton, Lostock & Chew Moor Ward
Definitely the highlight of my working year so far!
Ben Lester – Planning Director, Wavemaker Advertising Agency
I was so impressed with all of the children that we heard. I was emotionally moved to tears at one point. The quality of the subject matter and the content was amazing.
Janet Taylor – Ambassador for Bolton & campaigner to legislate the beauty industry
I recently had the pleasure of attending Ladybridge High School’s Year 9 celebration event, and I was incredibly impressed by the passion, confidence and social awareness demonstrated by the learners. The young people spoke eloquently on a range of important issues, including the experiences of refugee children, racism, lack of local opportunities and gender inequality. Their presentations were thoughtful, respectful and inspiring, and it was particularly encouraging to see such meaningful discussion and engagement amongst their peers. The event was a powerful reminder of the importance of youth voice and the positive impact young people can have when given the opportunity to be heard. Ladybridge High School should be extremely proud of its learners, who showed compassion, courage and a genuine commitment to making a difference in their communities and beyond. As a proud resident of Bolton, I left feeling optimistic about the future and inspired by the next generation of changemakers.
Lindsay Nelson – Virtual School Head, Bolton Council
The event showcased the speeches our learners have been researching, writing and refining throughout the term. The original part of this English and Drama interdisciplinary project involved building the ‘Knowledge’ aspect of their learning. An inspiring trip to Manchester provided learners with the opportunity to explore the history of protest and democracy at the People’s History Museum. Learners also collaborated with Wavemaker Advertising Agency, learning how to pitch ideas and influence change effectively and engaging in an interactive banner making workshop!
Learners also drew inspiration from external guest speakers who visited the school to share their own experiences, including campaigning for youth leadership, change within the beauty industry and safeguarding young homeless people.
In addition to their speeches, our Year 9 learners used their powerful voices to shape the future of their local community. By sharing their thoughts on the question, ‘What should we prioritise for Bolton over the next 15 years?’, their feedback will inform developments with the delivery of the Bolton 2040 Borough Plan.
