Debating Champions

Over 100 students from 14 GDST schools took part in the first GDST debating tournament, with South Hampstead crowned the winners.

In the three-round, online competition for pupils in Year 7 to 9, the motions were ‘This House would make private tuition illegal’, ‘This House welcomes the rise of virtual living’ and ‘This House would appoint MPs by national lottery.’ The girls were given just 15 minutes to prepare their speeches.

Out of the 39 competing teams, our three teams came first, third and fourth. Well done to competition winners Sophia and Chiara in Year 7 who won all their debates; to Olivia and Lara in Year 8 who placed third, also winning all their debates; and to Keya and Eleanor in Year 7, who won two of their debates and came second in the other, placing fourth overall. Well done too to Charlotte and Manon in Year 10, who helped to judge the competition.

The girls’ success follows another busy term – lockdown certainly hasn’t hampered our debaters’ enthusiasm. Students in Years 7 to the Lower Sixth have participated in friendlies against UCL (won by Sonya, Christina and Ahaana) and Godolphin & Latymer (won by Auhona, Christina, Edie and Sonya), as well as wider competitions. Eight students took part in the International Competition for Young Debaters’ Finals’ Days, after they made it through the regional round in the spring term. Well done to Manon, Charlotte, Olivia, Sophia F, Lara, Molly, Sophia C and Camille for a great weekend of debating! Charlotte and Manon also won the London Online Debating Competition, an event for students in Years 10 to the Upper Sixth that involved 20 teams.

Many congratulations to all our debaters – well-deserved winners of this year’s English Speaking Union Oracy Culture Award. We look forward to September and another action-packed year of events and competitions.