On Monday afternoon five Sixth Formers participated in the local semi-final of the national Oxford Schools' Debate Contest.
Run by the Oxford Union, Oxford Schools' is the largest British Parliamentary school-level debate competition in the world, and the largest debating competition in the UK, aimed at students aged 14-18. The overall aim is to make debating accessible to as many schools as possible. It offers the chance for students to develop their skills and confidence in public speaking, thoughtful argumentation and analytical problem solving.
Mr Joe Player, who oversees debating at Shiplake College said: "Competing against around 12 other schools including Eton, Magdalen and Berkhamsted, our sixth formers had to contest over four hours, talking on the difficult topics of compulsory voting and inheritance tax. They were a little nervous, but they all spoke up and gave their all.
"They were really great and whilst they did not 'break' (ie progress to the next round), they did the College proud. So well done to Josh Harvey, J Perry, Harry Stokes, Liv Taphouse, and Charlie Bradbury. May this be the first of many debate contests."
