Students from St Mary’s Calne Senior Debate Club travelled to Bishop Wordsworth school in Salisbury on Wednesday 28 January to compete in the second round of the English Speaking Union’s Mace debating competition.
Six schools took part across three debates, with St Mary’s represented by speakers Eve J and Alexandra V (both Lower Sixth) and Morolayo A (Upper Sixth). They were supported by Addy A and Ai P (both Lower Sixth), who questioned opposing teams during the debates.
St Mary’s faced Ryde school in a closely fought contest, arguing that modern politics fails to represent the interests of young people. Their case drew on examples from both UK and international politics and was delivered with confidence and clarity.
The team successfully defended their position, handling points of information calmly and responding with well-structured arguments. Judges praised the standard of debate and the quality of the students’ presentation and rhetorical skills.
Despite winning their debate, St Mary’s narrowly missed out on one of the two places available for the third round of the competition, which were awarded to Portsmouth Grammar school and St Swithun’s school.
Teacher of History and Politics, Adrian Stoten, said, “The team debated with real passion and maturity, using carefully researched examples and clear structure in their arguments. They represented the school brilliantly and should be extremely proud of what they achieved.”
He added, “Although they didn’t progress to the next round, this was a fantastic learning experience. Competing against such strong opponents will help them refine their skills for future debates.”
Members of the team said they enjoyed taking part in such a competitive and high-level event and valued the opportunity to test their ideas against students from other schools.
St Mary’s praised the pupils for being excellent ambassadors and for approaching the challenge with commitment and enthusiasm. The experience will now feed into future debating activities at the school, with staff keen to build on the momentum created by the competition.
