Youth Speaks: Debating Competition

On Tuesday evening, seven Year 8 teams took to the floor in Churchill Academy’s first ever Debating Competition. This event was hosted by the Rotary Club of Wrington Vale as a part of their national Youth Speaks programme. Students had the chance to grapple with big ideas, debate in a formal setting and enjoy a little light competition between each other. They definitely rose to the challenge!

In first place came Isabel O'Brien HACW (chair), India Knight WKH (proposition) and Sofia Passmore TJJW (opposition). Their motion was that animal testing does more harm than good. Coming in second was Sam Bugler SLH (chair), Ayshen Gumus HND (proposition) and Eleanor Woollven WAL (opposition). They debated the motion that homework should be banned.  Both of these teams will now go through to the next stage of the contest.
 
Tyler Knight-Bath TKYB (chair), Thom Fairhurst HLCB (proposition) and Maria Amaral TEM (opposition) were placed third with the same interesting motion about the elimination of homework in schools.
 
A special mention should also go to Grace Hurst (TES), Mimi Jones (HVR) and Sophia Papasouliotis (WMS) and who joined together from two teams into one because unfortunately some students were poorly and couldn’t attend. Considering they had less than a few hours to prepare they did exceptionally well. 
 
Many thanks to everyone involved, including Mr Kirkup and Rotary Club members for all their hard work with organising the competition alongside Ms Lowrie. Thanks, also, to the wonderful adjudicators. The chair of the judging panel was Simon Pitchers and he worked with Lynne Puckey, former Deputy Head of Churchill, and Kate Browne, the Mayor of Axbridge, to rank the teams and give them some invaluable feedback on their performances.

Last but not least, thank you to all the students, their families and their teachers who supported them and ensured they were ready to present their ideas so confidently and perceptively.