A few words from the winner

Source A: Hear the people behind the work — an original school prize-evening proposal

At our prize evening, winners usually collect an award, stand for a photograph and return to their seats. I would like us to invite each winner to say a few words about the work or people behind it. A short contribution could turn a list of names into a clearer account of what pupils have done and how they reached that point.

An audience sees a finished performance, project or result without necessarily seeing the attempts which came before it. Hearing one detail about a difficulty or an unexpected source of help could make the achievement more interesting. It might also recognise people whose contribution does not appear on the certificate. We should not treat a prize as evidence that one person succeeded without anyone else.

The invitation would need preparation. Tell winners beforehand, explain the time available and offer a few optional questions. They could choose one specific example rather than feel obliged to recite a polished life story. Staff could help them prepare without turning every answer into the same approved speech about effort and gratitude. A pupil might want to describe a changed idea rather than claim they had always been determined to win.

I know the evening already has a crowded programme. We could shorten some introductions or use a small selection of contributions instead of adding several minutes after every award. My aim is to let pupils be heard, not make the latest class finish late. We should discuss what fits and ask prospective speakers what support would help. An award photograph records that someone stood on the stage. A carefully chosen contribution could help the audience understand something worth remembering about why they were there, while keeping the event varied enough for other people's achievements to receive attention too.

Source B: An award is not an agreement to perform — an original response from a pupil

I would enjoy hearing some winners explain their work, but I am uncomfortable with the expectation that collecting an award should include a speech. A person may be pleased to receive recognition without wanting to describe their feelings to a hall full of families. Being successful at a project or a sport does not mean feeling equally confident at a microphone.

Advance notice would help, but an invitation can still feel compulsory if every other winner accepts. Someone who declines may appear ungrateful or less proud of the people who helped. Please explain that speaking is optional and organise the programme so a quiet collection is not presented as the disappointing exception to a better sort of winner.

There are other ways to share the work. A short written comment in the programme, a display nearby or an interview prepared in advance might give a pupil more control. Those alternatives need agreement too. Nobody should discover that a private preparation conversation has become a quotation on the screen, or that an account of a difficulty is being used to make the evening more moving.

I would choose a few volunteers with different experiences, rather than require one formula from every winner. Ask what they want the audience to understand and let them check the wording of anything presented on their behalf. Keep contributions short enough that people at the end of the evening are still heard. Above all, do not make every achievement sound like the same story of struggle followed by triumph. Some work is valuable because of a quiet decision, a collaboration or a question which remains open. Pupils should be able to receive a prize without having their own account arranged into the organisers' preferred ending.

Write a speech to the prize-evening committee evaluating the proposal and recommending how pupils’ achievements should be presented.

Use your own words and base your response on both sources. In your response:

• evaluate the value and possible difficulties of asking winners to speak
• recommend how pupils could contribute to an informative and manageable evening

Write about 250 to 350 words. Up to 10 marks are available for reading and up to 25 marks for writing.