What is the Speak Out Challenge?

The Speak Out Challenge is a program delivered by the Speaker’s Trust and funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation. The aim of this program is to allow pupils to develop confidence in their speech writing and speaking skills, whilst providing an outlet for young people to share their ideas and perspectives. Each year, over 20,000 young people participate in Speak Out Workshops from every state school across London and Essex. This program empowers Year 10 students to have their voices heard in a collaborative and competitive environment.


The Workshop

A group of Year 10 pupils had the opportunity to participate in a free in-school workshop that encouraged pupils to develop their speaking skills by teaching them meaningful public speaking techniques.

During the workshop, each student had a chance to write and perform an original speech with a trained facilitator from the Speak Out Challenge. Pupils spent the day working with a group of selected peers in the drama studio and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.


The Semi-Finals

After completion of this workshop, the Speak Out Facilitator and English teachers selected the top 5 students who demonstrated outstanding public speaking skills. These five pupils were invited to participate in the semi-finals during the Year 10 Assembly. Each pupil gave a speech on a topic they were passionate about in front of their peers, and they did exceptionally well. After much debate, two winners were selected: Jasseena and Natnael. 


Our Representatives

Following their successful semi-final performance, Jasseena and Natnael went on to represent our school in the borough-wide Speak Out Challenge! Students from schools across the borough had a chance to compete by performing their original speech in front of their family, friends, peers, teachers and esteemed guests from our local community. There were plenty of certificates and gift vouchers to be won for successful performances. 


Hosting the Event

This year, Robert Clack had the privilege of hosting this esteemed event due to our successful performance in the competition last year. As such, many talented pupils from our school were assigned important roles during the event. Simran acted as student judge on the evening, whilst Divine hosted the event as student MC. We also had a number of musical performances during the evening, including a piano solo by Emmanuel as well as a beautiful vocal performance from Toni. 


Pop-Up Prom Boutique – A Wonderful Evening for Year 11

By npower • March 17, 2026
Our recent Pop-Up Prom Boutique events at the Green Lane and Gosfield sites were a fantastic success. The events provided students with the chance to try on a variety of beautiful prom dresses and enjoy a fun, supportive styling experience. It was wonderful to see so many students attending with their friends, exploring different styles, and sharing the excitement of preparing for prom. The atmosphere was full of energy and positivity, and many students left feeling confident and excited about their prom look. Overall, the evenings were a wonderful success and it was lovely to see students feeling confident, happy and excited for their upcoming prom.  Mrs Asghar

Inspiring Visit from Former Pupil and Professional Photographer

By npower • March 16, 2026
On Friday 13 th March, our Sixth Form Photography students had the opportunity to take part in something a little different when we welcomed back former pupil and professional photographer, Angela Ogunfojuri, to speak about her career. During the session, Angela shared insights into her unconventional route into the photography industry, discussing the experiences, challenges and opportunities that have shaped her professional journey. Students were fascinated to hear about the realities of working in the creative sector and the different pathways that can lead to a successful career. She also got a chance to catch up with Mr Taylor who was her Economics Teacher when she was in the Sixth Form.  The talk sparked a lively discussion, with students asking thoughtful and insightful questions about developing a portfolio, building a career in photography and navigating the industry. We are extremely grateful to Angela for giving up her time to return to school and speak with our students. Her willingness to share her experiences provided valuable inspiration and she proved to be a fantastic role model for our aspiring photographers.

Annual Teacher vs Student Debate 2026

By npower • March 13, 2026
Our debate club recently hosted an engaging Teacher vs Student debate on the motion: “This house would allow all mobile phones to be used in school for research.” This was a relevant topic as the use of mobile phones in schools is a current news story! Both teams delivered thoughtful arguments, lively rebuttals, and demonstrated excellent public speaking skills. Overall, the winners were the teachers!

British Science Week - Marble Run

By npower • March 12, 2026
The British Science Week marble run activity took place on Wednesday after school. It was a real fun activity and pupils immersed themselves fully in a competitive manner. Sami and Labibul were the winners but the others did incredibly well. Well done to all the students who took part - Sara, Hanna, Sami, Labibul, Gabrieele, Illarion and Arthur

Year 9 Students Inspired by Medical Career Talk by former pupil

By npower • March 7, 2026
Dr Lara Akinnawonu (class of 2017) joined a group of our Year 9 Lymington Fields students today via Teams students to share her experiences of working in medicine. During the session, she gave students an insight into a “day in the life of a doctor”, explaining that the role is varied, fast-paced, and filled with constant learning. She also spoke about the key skills that make a good doctor, highlighting the importance of strong communication, empathy, and a commitment to continually developing knowledge and understanding. Thank you to Dr Lara for taking the time to inspire our students and give them a valuable glimpse into a career in healthcare.

Essex 7s - Year 8

By npower • March 7, 2026
Yesterday, the Year 8 boys competed in the annual Essex 7s tournament hosted by New Hall School.  Robert Clack faced three tough fixtures in the main Cup competition, beating Brentwood and Westcliff, drawing against King John, and narrowly losing to Campion. This performance saw the Year 8s progress to the Cup semi-final against a strong Woodlands side. Robert Clack delivered an outstanding performance, securing a 20–10 victory. The boys then advanced to the final against a strong Campion team. It was a highly competitive game throughout, with the score 5–5 at half-time and 10–10 at full-time. A golden try was needed to decide the winner. Unfortunately, Campion scored first, meaning they were crowned overall champions, with Robert Clack finishing as worthy runners-up. Well done to the boys on a well-earned achievement. Compared to last year, when they did not win a single group game, this represents excellent progress. Outstanding work!

Jack Cooper inspires Year 9 with his Degree Apprenticeship Journey

By npower • February 26, 2026
We were proud to welcome back former student Jack Cooper to speak with our Year 9 cohort about his journey into the construction industry via Teams. After leaving Sixth Form in 2025, Jack secured a degree apprenticeship with The Hill Group, where he now works as a Technical Coordinator. He shared valuable insight into the apprenticeship route, highlighting how subject choices, extracurricular involvement, and developing transferable skills such as teamwork, leadership, communication and resilience helped prepare him for the workplace. Students were particularly interested in hearing about his day-to-day role — from reviewing plans and liaising with teams to solving on-site challenges — as well as how he balances university study alongside hands-on industry experience as part of his degree apprenticeship. Jack also spoke about the impact of our partnerships with organisations such as Construction Youth Trust, which provide mentoring and support for students pursuing careers in construction. His journey is a fantastic example of the diverse and rewarding pathways available after school. We are incredibly grateful to Jack for returning to inspire the next generation — and we look forward to seeing many more students follow in his footsteps.

Senior Debate Squad Leads Show Debate

By npower • February 26, 2026
This half term, the Robert Clack Senior Debate Squad had the opportunity to visit the local primary school, Grafton, to participate in a Q&A session and deliver a showcase debate. The motion considered whether primary or secondary school provides a better environment for children’s development. The teams were mixed, allowing the older students to mentor the younger pupils.  Well done to all Grafton and Robert Clack students who took part. We look forward to visiting again in the future.

Entrepreneur Academy Final

By npower • February 22, 2026
On Thursday 13 th February we held the final presentations of our Sixth Form Entrepreneur Academy — Dragon’s Den style — and our students absolutely delivered. The brief: Create a product or service for 16–21 year olds that could be used by college or university students. It could be an invention or an innovation, tailored to a specific audience, with full cost research and a clear business case. The results? Innovative ideas. Professional presentations. Exceptional teamwork. 🏆 Winners: Imperium – an inventive mobile banking app designed specifically for the student market. A genuinely original concept, clearly aligned to the needs of their target audience. 🥈 Runners-up: Magniglasses – a smart glasses concept with a more affordable, accessible design. A brilliant example of innovation with commercial awareness. Every team impressed our judges with: • The quality of their ideas • Confident, professional pitching • Strong market research and costings • Clear marketing strategies It was fantastic to see many teams applying insights from our guest speakers — and even incorporating Out of Home advertising into their marketing plans following their visit to Bauer Media Group . A huge thank you to our volunteers and judges who generously gave up their time to support and challenge our students. The future of entrepreneurship is in very safe hands.

Alumni Power In Action

By npower • February 22, 2026
It’s always fantastic to see our students thinking ambitiously about their futures. Recently, Year 12 student MP shared her aspiration to become a Social Worker and asked whether Mrs Monk could connect her with a former student working in the field. Mrs Monk immediately reached out to Nanah Kamara who was more than happy to help. Nanah left Robert Clack in 2019 and, after completing her undergraduate degree, is now a fully qualified Social Worker. A meeting was set up via Teams on Wednesday 11th February, and MP came exceptionally well prepared — asking thoughtful, probing questions about relevant work experience, degree structure, and the training involved in qualifying as a Social Worker. A huge thank you to Nanah for giving up her time to support the next generation and for being such a positive role model for our students. Moments like this truly show the power of our alumni network.