On Monday 15th June, a group of Year 7 students took part in the Grand Final of the Novice Urban Debate League. Having earned their place among the top seven teams in the country, they travelled to the London headquarters of Janus Henderson to compete against the nation’s strongest young debaters.
The first motion was a prepared debate on ethical investing, giving students the opportunity to research and develop their arguments in advance—a particularly fitting topic given the host venue. Competitors had the privilege of debating in the company’s impressive boardrooms, providing a memorable and authentic experience.
Despite narrowly losing their opening debate, the team performed exceptionally well throughout the day and progressed all the way to the final, emerging as one of the top two teams from a field of 183. The final motion, “This House Would Ban Anonymous Internet Accounts”, challenged students to engage with a highly relevant and topical issue in light of recent discussions around social media restrictions for under-16s.
Although the team ultimately lost the final by just two points, they should be immensely proud of their achievement. Reaching second place nationally is an outstanding accomplishment, and they represented the school with confidence, skill, and determination throughout the competition.
We are incredibly proud of their efforts and look forward to seeing them continue their debating success in competitions later this year.