West Norfolk students speak out

Should social media be banned for under-16s, and is Artificial Intelligence dangerous? These were just two of the questions under consideration when students from across West Norfolk came together to compete in a debating contest.

The West Norfolk Academies Trust Public Speaking Competition was taking place for the first time and featured contestants drawn from the Trust’s four secondary schools: Marshland High School in West Walton, St Clement’s High School in Terrington St Clement, Smithdon High School in Hunstanton, and Springwood High School in King’s Lynn.

“Students from each high school selected their top teams to represent each school,” explained event organiser Lauren Franklin, who teaches English at St Clement’s.

“Each school held internal rounds to select their students to represent their school. The internal rounds entailed each student presenting their ideas in a five-minute presentation. 

“A range of topics were discussed – such as disability discrimination and whether celebrities should have privacy – and it was clear to see how enthusiastic each student was. Based on judges’ scores, our finalists were selected.”

Following the in-school competition stages, the final was hosted by Smithdon, where the students worked together to present their arguments.

“In teams of three, students prepared a discussion to perform, persuade, and entertain an audience, using their display of knowledge on their chosen topic,” continued Miss Franklin. “They presented their arguments and rebuttals, before taking questions from the audience.

“Each topic was chosen by the teams, allowing them to discuss an idea that was important to them, allowing them to delve deeper into the research surrounding the topic, and have a voice over something they were passionate about.”

Each group consisted of a chairperson, a proposer, and an opposer, and had ten minutes to debate their subject, before answering questions from the audience, which was made up of Smithdon students.

The winners were the Springwood team of Maddie Clark from Year 7, Jenson Atwell in Year 8, and Eleanor King, also Year 8, who asked whether social media should be banned for those under 16.

Runners-up were St Clement’s, represented by Year 7 students Casey Ward, Henry Wood, and Poppy Foster, who discussed whether AI was dangerous. 

The members of the two teams were awarded individual trophies and Amazon vouchers, as well as team trophies for display in their respective schools, while every participant received a certificate for taking part. 

All four teams will also go on to represent their schools in the Youth Speaks Rotary Club Competition next year.

“Events like these are extremely important,” added Miss Franklin. “It gives young people the opportunity to show their passion on a topic they are enthusiastic about and for their voice to be heard.

“Whilst it can be nerve-racking and daunting to prepare for, students grow in confidence, as well as developing other fundamental skills, such as team work, creative and presentation skills, and critical thinking.

“This was the first year the event took place, and, due to the success of it, we are planning to continue annually each year.”