Prize Giving Speech for School or College

Before you start writing

Find out exactly what kind of event you are speaking at. Some schools hold a separate prize day; others fold the prize giving into speech day or an end of year review. The format affects the length and tone of what you say.

Ask the school for a running order, a list of prize categories and the names of winners. Check the pronunciation of any names you are unsure about. Find out how long they want you to speak for: twenty minutes feels very different from five.

Know who will be in the room. A speech to a sixth form audience can be pitched differently from one given to a primary school hall full of younger children and their parents. With younger children, keep sentences short and use plain words. With older students, you can use a wider vocabulary and reference ideas they will recognise.

If you are speaking at a UK school, check the school's safeguarding expectations for visiting speakers in advance. Most schools will brief you on photography, social media and how to address pupils.

Be clear about your role. If you are both giving a speech and handing out prizes, plan for the practical side as well as the words. If someone else is presenting, you can focus more on what the prizes represent.

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Striking the right tone

Aim to make everyone in the room feel proud of being part of the school, not just the winners. Acknowledge the staff, parents, governors and support staff who keep the place running. The winners should still feel singled out, but in a way that encourages rather than excludes everyone else.

Humour can work, but use a light touch: a gentle observation about the day, the weather, or shared experiences everyone will recognise. Avoid poking fun at named individuals, anything sarcastic, or anything that makes light of the achievements being recognised.

Keep an eye on the clock. Long speeches at prize giving are rarely the ones people remember fondly. If in doubt, cut.

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A simple structure to follow

Shape most prize giving speeches around three parts: an opening that sets the scene, the main body where you talk about achievements and present or refer to the prizes, and a short close.

Start by thanking the school for the invitation. Acknowledge the work that has gone into the year by pupils, staff and families. Mention the purpose of the event if it is part of a wider celebration.

An opening for an older audience might run along these lines:

"Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for inviting me to join you today. It is a real pleasure to be here at the prize giving for [name of school], and to have the chance to congratulate the pupils being recognised, along with everyone who has supported them through the year. The work behind these awards is the kind of steady, often unseen effort that this school clearly values, and the winners today are a credit to that."

For a primary school audience, you would say much the same in simpler language:

"Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for inviting me to your prize day. It is lovely to be here, and I am really looking forward to meeting the children who are getting prizes today. They have worked hard all year, and so have their teachers and their families, and that is something everyone in this room should feel pleased about."

Presenting the prizes and closing

If you are handing out the awards, the practical points matter most. Read each category clearly. Say each winner's name properly. Pause long enough for applause and for the photographer. A short handshake or a few private words as you hand over the prize is usually all that is needed.

If you are speaking but not presenting, reflect on what the prizes represent: the value of perseverance, of trying things you are not immediately good at, or of quieter forms of achievement. A short story about hard work being rewarded can land well with younger children, but keep it brief.

Something like this works for the main body:

"The pupils receiving prizes today reflect what this school stands for. They have worked hard, stuck at things when they were difficult, and made the most of the opportunities they have been given. That is a credit to them, but also to the teachers and support staff who have guided them, and to the parents and carers who have backed them at home."

Keep the ending brief. Congratulate the winners again, thank the staff, and wish everyone well for whatever comes next. End on a clear, confident note rather than tailing off.

If you are nervous about delivery, practise out loud a few times. Speeches always sound different when spoken, and small awkward phrases tend to reveal themselves. Time yourself so you know roughly where you will land on the day.

The Next Step

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