Public Speaking and Debating

This area includes drama productions, public speaking and debating. Students perform publicly in assemblies, at school events and during inter-house activities. Our debating teams as well as individual students participate in local and national competitions.

Islington Regional Final Champion of Jack Petchey’s “Speak Out” Challenge! 2024: Mazen being awarded his prize by local MP Jeremy Corbyn and actor Idris DeBrand.

Recent successes include the Urban Debate League Championship and the first place in the Jack Petchey Speak Out competitions which CFBS hosted as, a winner, in December 2024, for the second time in three years.

Frankly Speaking Debating Competition 2024

Developing public speaking skills is an essential part of education and preparing students for university and work in late life. Having a space where they can do this in a structured environment builds confidence, knowledge and understanding.

We run debating programmes to develop students ability to debate with eloquence and confidence. Volunteers from Hogan And Lovells law firm work with a group of our Year 7 cohort to develop and hone their skills in public speaking within small groups. We also run a Debate Mate core programme with students aged between 12 and 16 and Debate Mate + which is for Sixth form students. Debate Mate is a country wide programme in which hundreds of schools take part.

A significant development has been the introduction of the LAMDA programme. LAMDA exam qualifications develop the learner as a disciplined student of theatre and public speaking, they develop a confidence and ability not only in the subject of theatre but in self-presentation.

As former national champions of both the Debate Mate Cup and the Urban Debate League, debating is an area in which the school has truly excelled in the past and one we continue to develop as we move into the future.