Having won the semi-final of the Chrystall Carter Public Speaking Competition at Croydon High School in February, on 17 March it was time for Y11 student Darshanaa, accompanied by Ms Fitzgerald and Darshanaa’s father, to take her place among the five pupils chosen from across the 25 GDST schools for the finals of the competition at Notting Hill and Ealing High School. The prize was established in memory of Chrystall Carter, Legal Adviser and later Deputy Legal Secretary to the GDST, who championed girls’ education and firmly believed in the power of argument.
2026 is a particularly special anniversary year for the prize and, to mark the occasion, in addition to the current CEO of the GDST, Cheryl Giovannoni, members past and present of the GDST Trust and the former Headmistress of Notting Hill and Ealing High School, we were delighted to learn that members of Chrystall Carter’s family were also present to witness this milestone in the prize’s history.
Following a warm welcome from Mrs Allison Saunders, Headteacher, and from Cheryl Giovannoni, the contestants, who represented Howell’s School, Birkenhead High School, Putney High School, Norwich High School and Sutton High School, spoke for seven minutes on a topic of their choice. This was followed by questions from the panel of judges, a measure of the students’ aptitude, knowledge of their topic, and their skills in public speaking.
The judging panel consisted of Will Wareing, GDST Deputy Director of Education, alongside two notable Notting Hill and Ealing alumnae: Kathryn Flett, author, journalist and broadcaster, and Nicky Sargent, BAFTA Award winner and co-founder of The Farm Group, a multi-award-winning broadcast postproduction company.
Darshanaa spoke again on “Why feminism remains important today”, while the other speeches addressed questions as varied as the ethics of digital immortality, voting rights for 16-year-olds, and whether we can escape from the mistakes of the past.
The winner of the competition was Pihu M from Howell’s School, who spoke on the topic: It’s 2026: Why is the male body still the default for modern medicine? The runner up was Kirsty N from Birkenhead High School, who explored whether we can ever escape the mistakes of the past.
The judges faced an incredibly difficult decision, and we in the audience were relieved that we did not have to make the final choice, as all the contestants spoke brilliantly. It was truly inspirational to be in the presence of such thoughtful and articulate young women.
Congratulations to Darshanaa, her family and friends, and to Mrs Southgate, Head of English and Darshanaa’s teacher, who all supported her so well. It was quite the achievement to reach the final, and we are all so proud of her.
