It is the first time a West Lothian School has been in the Lothian and Borders Sheriffdom Final since the competition's inception in 2013.
Armadale Academy went up against Hawick High School in the final which was held at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. The Armadale duo came out on top after a fiercely contested final, eventually winning the competition, which was chaired by Nigel Ross, Sheriff Principal of Lothian and Borders.
The judges include, Lynne Barrie, Procurator Fiscal for Lothian and Borders, Chief Superintendent David Robertson, Police Scotland and Sheriff Principal Ross.
George Heriot's School were last year's winners. Previous winners include; Edinburgh Academy, Royal High School, James Gillespie's, Trinity Academy, Holyrood HS and Portobello HS.
The Armadale pupils had to progress through several rounds. Rose and Fraser will now take part in the national semi-finals at the end of the month and, if they win, will go through to the finals being held at Parliament House in June. Irene Lumsden is the school's librarian and has supported the students throughout the process with one of our English teachers - Karyn Reilly.
Armadale Academy's Headteacher, Nicola Barker-Harrison, said:
"We are all so proud of Rose, Fraser, Irene and Karyn. They have put in a huge amount of work into this and to win this award for the school is amazing. It's testament to their hard work and talent. Irene and Karyn give up their own time to help our young people and I know how proud they are of Rose and Fraser.
"Public speaking is something that many people struggle with, some people would avoid doing it altogether. For our young people to have the confidence and ability to go into the Edinburgh Sheriff Court, and speak with such composure and confidence, in front of such senior judges, is incredible and will provide them with valuable life experience. The feedback and praise they received from very senior and seasoned public speakers was amazing."
If anyone has any questions about entering the COPFS School Public Speaking Competition for the Sheriffdom of Lothian and Borders please direct enquires to DiversityTeam@copfs.gov.uk
