A pupil from a High Wycombe girls’ school won Best Speaker at the rotary national finals on Saturday May 7 in Kirkham, Preston.

India Fox from Wycombe Abbey school won the award for making the most eloquent main speech lasting six minutes in a debate entitled ‘First World Problems’, according to teacher Melissa Barone.

The school also won second place in the competition, behind the winning team from the Red Maids’ School in Bristol.

The team, made up of schoolgirls India, Iyala Alai and Iona Rowan, qualified in the seniors section and joined six other teams from around the UK in the finals.

Every year, rotary clubs in the UK and Ireland encourage pupils to participate in a public speaking competition, Youth Speaks, which, according to Rotary Great Britain and Ireland, “showcases superb quality speakers” like India.

Ms Barone said: “The standard of the presentations was exceptional and the adjudicators had a very difficult task to separate the winning teams.

“The topics chosen were very varied and it was a tremendous advertisement for the application, preparation and delivery by the students.”