John visited Bierton Church of England Combined School for its annual public speaking competition. He said,

“The standard of speeches by the children was extremely high, far better than anything I could manage at their age. All ten contributions I heard were impressive and it was tough to decide between them. Nevertheless, the speeches by Charlotte Evans-Howe and James Hanson were simply outstanding. The ability to speak in public is a valuable skill, even more so in today’s knowledge economy in which the focus on communication is greater than ever. Mrs. Cornes, Mrs. Mirrans and their colleagues deserve huge credit for organising the event and the children even greater praise for their efforts. I hope to visit again in future years.”