Farewell Speech Example
A complete sample speech for a P6 student leaving primary school. Read it. Then read how it works so your child can write their own.
A Farewell Speech Worth Remembering
A farewell speech is one of the most common original speeches a HK student gives. Last day of primary, end of secondary, head prefect handover, leaving captain. The format is well-loved and the structure is clean.
Below is a complete sample speech for a P6 student leaving primary school. After the speech, a section on how it works so your child can write their own.
Want help writing your own?
See Speech Writing Guide →Sample Farewell Speech (P6)
Good morning teachers, parents, and friends.
Six years ago, I walked into this school holding my mother’s hand. I could barely write my name. I could not read a chapter book. And I cried on the second morning because I missed my dog.
Today I am standing here, on this stage, talking to you in English. That should tell you what this school can do for a child.
I want to say three thank-yous before I go.
First, to the teachers. You taught us reading. You taught us writing. You also taught us how to lose at sports, how to apologise, how to listen when someone else was speaking. Those lessons were not on the timetable. They were the most important.
Second, to my classmates. We have not always agreed. We have not always been kind. But we have grown up together. The friend I sat next to in P1 is the friend I am sitting next to today, and that is something I will always remember.
Third, to our parents. You drove us. You fed us. You signed every form. You came to every concert, even the very long ones. You told us to keep going when we wanted to stop. And here we are.
I am not going to pretend I am not nervous about secondary school. I am. But I am leaving with three things this school gave me. A love of reading. A bit of courage. And the friends I am leaving with today.
Thank you. Goodbye to this chapter. And hello to the next one.
How This Speech Works
Hook
The opening line is short. The second line is a memory: walking in holding mum’s hand. Personal, specific, immediate. The audience pictures it. We hear that the speaker could not write her own name. The contrast with today is set up before we even know what the speech is about.
Personal connection
Crying because of missing the dog. This single concrete detail does more than any general statement about feelings. The audience laughs gently and is now on the speaker’s side.
Three main points
The rule of three. Three thank-yous. Teachers, classmates, parents. Each gets one short paragraph. Each ends with one specific image: the long concert, sitting next to the same friend, an apology. Concrete beats abstract every time.
Honest moment
The speaker admits they are nervous about secondary school. Strong speeches dare to say something true. False positivity flattens a speech. Truth lifts it.
Closing line
Short. Memorable. Three sentences. Goodbye to this chapter. Hello to the next one. The audience hears the door close and another open. Job done.
"Strong speeches do not need fancy vocabulary. They need a clear structure, a few honest moments and a closing line the audience hears in their head as they walk home."
Techniques to Steal
- Open with a memory, not a statement. Show, do not tell.
- Use rule of three. Three thank-yous. Three regrets. Three things you learned.
- Include one concrete image per paragraph. The dog. The long concert. The friend in the next chair.
- Allow one honest worry. Not too much. Just one.
- End on two short lines that sound like a door closing and another opening.
How to Write Your Own
- Block out the structure: hook, three thanks, one honest moment, closing line.
- Write the first draft in 20 minutes. Do not edit yet.
- Read aloud and time it. Aim for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Cut every word that does not earn its place.
- Practise the opening and closing more than the middle. They are what the audience remembers.
- Record yourself. Listen back. Adjust pace and stress.
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