TAVISTOCK College has been declared the national runners-up for the intermediate section in the prestigious Rotary Club Youth Speaks competition.

The final of this public speaking competition was held in Wales and there were seven finalists that had been whittled down from the hundreds of schools that entered the competition.

At the final, the college's intermediate team of Freya Chambers, speaker, Marianne Quinn, chair, and Millie Kelly, proposer of the vote of thanks, were supported by parents, members of other teams who had reached the district final, teachers, including the principal and vice principal, and the president of Tavistock Rotary Club.

The students' talk was entitled 'Super Heroes — the True Villains?'

Their speech amusingly debated whether or not super heroes are valid role models for children and looked at the history of super heroes, their possible connections with political ideologies and their means of resolving problems — by violence rather than negotiation or compromise.

Principal Helen Salmon said: 'I am so proud to see their triumph. To be able to speak with such poise and authority at 14 years old is impressive and these three girls will go far.'

Rotary Club President Clive Fairchild said: 'I really enjoyed seeing the team develop to the point where they had delivered an almost faultless performance that both engaged and amused the audience.'

Mr Fairchild said it was very satisfying to be involved in a competition that showed the capabilities of young people today, and that all the entrants to the Youth Speaks competition had developed skills that would be with them for the rest of their lives.

The college will continue to enter the competition and expressed thanks for the support of Tavistock Rotary Club, Rotarian Russell Woolcock and his wife Fay, and president Clive Fairchild.