On Friday 11th July, Aylesbury Grammar School hosted its Junior Public Speaking Final - marking the final House event of the academic year. We were delighted to welcome back Old Aylesburian Aymaan Sheikh (Ridley ’22) as guest adjudicator, alongside Mr. Sturgeon and Mrs. Sampson.

A standout debater during his time at AGS, Aymaan is now a final-year English and History student at the University of Edinburgh. He has competed at intervarsity level and judged over 40 debating competitions across Europe, including in Dublin, Vienna, London, and Amsterdam. Most recently, he served as a qualifying judge at the 2024 European Championships and will represent Edinburgh at the 2025 Euros. His wealth of experience brought real insight to the judging panel, and we are incredibly grateful for his thoughtful and inspiring contribution.

Congratulations to Phillips House - Elliot, Joe, and Felix - who were triumphant in this year’s final. Their confident delivery, strong teamwork, and engaging topics secured a well-deserved win and a fantastic close to the year’s House competitions. Aymaan was full of praise for the quality and variety of speeches delivered by all participants, highlighting the impressive communication skills and composure shown by each team.

Thank you once again to Aymaan for returning to AGS to support and inspire the next generation of public speakers - and to all who contributed to a truly memorable event.