A PUBLIC speaking competition attracted entries from a 'record' seven schools.

For more than 20 years, Prestatyn Rotary Club has held the contest for junior schools. This year, four junior schools in Prestatyn took part as well as those in Rhuddlan, Dyserth and Gronant.

There were 14 finalists.

Poppy Kearney, Ysgol y Castell, spoken enthusiastically about her favourite author David Walliams and was judged overall winner.

Organiser Rotarian Alan Booth, retired deputy head teacher - formerly of Prestatyn High School - said: “Oracy is a crucial skill, and its importance in teaching, learning and social mobility cannot be understated.

“Prestatyn Rotary Club is delighted that this competition has given all who took part the opportunity to develop their oracy skills in a public speaking context.”

Prestatyn Rotary Club has held the public speaking competition for more than 20 years.

Preliminary rounds were held in each school, with a panel of Rotarians who were asked to judge each participant on content and presentation.

Chris Porteous, Rotarian, said: “The judges were surprised and entertained by the wide range of subjects chosen by the young students and also the high standard.

"This gave them a difficult task of narrowing down the entrants to two finalists from each school.”

More than 100 people made up the audience at the event.

Rotarian Brian Huw Jones described all the finalists as the “crème de la crème”.

Jasmine Hemmings of Ysgol y Llys in Prestatyn took second place with her talk on the Welsh Blood Service and Lia Heywood, of Ysgol y Castell in Rhuddlan, won third prize with her presentation on Carfest.