Pupils placed top for talking

PUPILS from Knoxland Primary have taken top prize – for talking.

A team of three youngsters took first place in the West Dunbartonshire Council’s 2017 Primary Public Speaking Competition.

Fraser Craig, Mara McKelvie and Heather McDaid beat seven other teams. Knoxland were joined in the final by competitors from Aitkenbar, Goldenhill, St Martin’s, Levenvale, Braehead, Renton and St Patrick’s Primary schools.

The annual event is organised by the council’s road safety team.

This year’s theme was ‘Road safety is no accident’.

The groups were tasked to address the audience before being marked by the judges – Mairi Blair, assistant director of road safety Scotland, and Sandy Allan, road safety manager with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

Ronnie Dinnie, the council’s strategic lead for environment and neighbourhood, said: “I was thoroughly impressed with the way all eight teams spoke on what is a very important topic.

“They were all excellent and it must have been extremely difficult for the judges to pick a winner.

“It takes a certain kind of personality to be able to stand up and speak in front of an audience and each of these young people is a credit to their families and teachers who clearly are doing a wonderful job.”