Outreach: Public Speaking and Debating Workshop

On Wednesday 6th February, we welcomed 20 pupils from local primary schools to our first Public Speaking and Debating Workshop, led by Mrs Hargraves and Ms Waites. The workshop featured an informative quiz to test the pupils’ existing knowledge of the UK’s political system, vocal warm up activities and breathing exercises to encourage confidence and develop voice projection during the debate. The pupils were then able to split into two smaller groups in order to formulate their arguments and nominate their speakers for a debate on the motion “this house would ban mobile phones in schools”. After strong arguments from both sides, the opposition were declared the winners after a strategic public vote which caused allegiances to be split and compromises to be made, mirroring real life politics! Thank you to Nikita Jain, an experienced debater in the Lower Sixth, who helped out and made the debate such a success.