English Speaking Board (International) Ltd

Category: Learning

  • Raising the ‘Baa’ in Omagh

    Nathan Wilson brought a fantastic visual aid into Omagh High School for his ESB assessment – an adorable young lamb.
    visual aid
    Nathan Wilson with his visual aids

    For his Level 1 Award in Speech, Nathan gave a lively presentation on ‘Sheep Farming’ before going onto recite William Blake’s ‘The Lamb’ from memory.

    His ESB Assessor, Ian Patterson was taken by surprise when Nathan’s visual aid came skipping into the classroom. Said Ian,

    Nathan really went the extra mile when it came to his captivating talk on ‘Sheep Farming’! This is a brilliant example of how a unique visual aid can really bring a talk to life.


    Nathan and his fellow ESB candidates all performed exceptionally well in their assessments, with each of them going on to receive Distinction grades.

    Find out more about our Speech qualifications here.

  • ESB is launching a new Speech pathways qualification

    English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. has improved the single unit ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 4) to give teachers and learners more options and flexibility to explore oracy in the classroom.
    speech pathways
    Speech Pathways

    Adding new pathway options will provide teachers with more options and the flexibility to explore oracy in the classroom in different contexts to suit the needs of their learners.

    ESB surveyed over 160 centres in relation to its portfolio of Speech qualifications. The results showed that schools would like greater choice for their learners and more opportunities for advancing their communication skills. ESB responded to this feedback by working on redesigning the ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 4).

    The updated and improved qualification will contain three exciting new units for teachers to choose from. Please click here to see these pathway options in full.

    The new options include using speech to inform an audience, for performance, or for employability. The addition of these pathways options were formulated to ensure ESB’s portfolio of Speech qualifications remain relevant and accessible to all learners. 

    ESB has begun piloting the pathways qualification in a number of centres to see how teachers and learners respond to the new options before its launch in September 2019.

    Effective communication is crucial for young people in achieving success in education, employment and life, and ESB strive to ensure every learner is given the opportunity to realise their potential through oracy.

  • “Character and resilience” as important as GCSEs for young people says Damian Hinds

    The Education Secretary addressed the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership conference in London this morning to stress the importance of instilling confidence and character in every child.
    Damian Hinds, Secretary of State for Education

    Hinds declared that he wishes to “call time” on the phrase “public-school confidence”, arguing that such confidence should not be reserved for privately educated children only.

    Hinds went on to present his “five foundations to build character”: sport, creativity, performing, volunteering and membership and the world of work. He promises to increase schools’ access to these activities, ensuring that every child is given the opportunity to test themselves from a range of activities which all contribute to their overall character and resilience.

    With oracy skills playing a major role in all of Hinds’ “five foundations to build character” the initiative is warmly welcomed by English Speaking Board (International). ESB’s qualifications are specifically designed to boost pupils’ confidence through oracy.

    Says Tina Renshaw, Chief Executive,

    We strongly support the Education Secretary’s speech on “rethinking resilience” in schools. Our qualifications give young people the opportunity they need to realise their talent and self-worth, as well as giving them a structure of how to speak clearly and with confidence. We are excited to see character education spark interest in government decisions.

    Read about the projects ESB has carried out to raise achievement for learners in Stoke-on-Trent and in Plymouth and the South West.

    Find out more about Damian Hinds’ speech here https://www.tes.com/news/hinds-call-time-public-school-confidence.

    Follow our #RethinkingResilience conversation over on our Twitter page.

  • Celebrating success! 2018 Young Speakers of the Year

    English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. held its annual Young Speakers of the Year Showcase on Saturday, 17th November. Winners travelled from around the country to Liverpool to attend the celebration and receive their awards.

    Out of 14,000 learners who took ESB Speech assessments in 2017-18, twelve were selected as winners in recognition of their outstanding oracy skills.

    The 2018 Young Speakers of the Year are:
    Ethan Campbell – Elmhurst School for Boys, London
    Karris Holm – Bruton School for Girls, Bruton
    Lilian Bingham – St Bede’s & St Joseph’s Catholic College, Bradford
    Simran Sajan – Moreton Hall, Oswestry
    Sebastian Clarke – Broomfield House School, Surrey
    Charlie Cook – Hartismere School, Suffolk
    Sam Colyer – Plymouth Grove Primary School, Manchester
    Charlotte Scurr – Carleton House Prep School, Liverpool
    Rosie Spence – Bricklehurst Manor School, East Sussex
    Alice Beveridge – Westholme School, Blackburn
    Hannah McKee – Bolton School, Bolton
    Sophie Norman – Epsom College, Surrey

    The celebration featured three additional categories alongside the Young Speaker Awards. The ‘Spirit of ESB’ Awards recognise and encourage the potential of all learners, rewarding individuals who showed great promise in their assessments. The Burniston Bell Award recognises teachers who demonstrate exceptional commitment to teaching ESB in their centre. Finally, the prestigious Richard Ellis Award was introduced this year in honour of ESB’s former Trustee, Richard, to reward an individual who has shown outstanding dedication to ESB.

    The 2018 winners of the Spirit of ESB Award are:
    Charlie Campbell – Thistley Hough Academy, Stoke
    Safa Said – Sir William Burrough Primary School, London

    The 2018 winner of the Burniston Bell Award is:
    Christine Faithfull – Teacher at Abbey Gate College, Chester

    The 2018 winner of the Richard Ellis Award is:
    Merriel Halsall-Williams

    Each learner performed to an audience of family, friends and teachers, impressing everyone with their skills and abilities, and their charisma and confidence.

    In recognition of her role as a student, teacher, examiner, International Director, Trustee, and Honorary Vice-President, Merriel Halsall-Williams was presented with the Richard Ellis Award for promoting the English Speaking Board’s values.

    ESB’s Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw, says: “The standard from all candidates put forward this year was very impressive indeed. It is wonderful to reward their achievements and then share their passions at our annual Showcase.”

    Worthy winner, Karris Holm summed up the excitement of the day “I’d always been intimidated by public speaking, but this weekend has been really enjoyable – the lovely atmosphere at the event made the whole day a really positive exp­­­­erience!”­­­