Bancroft Prep Debating Challenge

Six intrepid Year 6 pupils - Bethany, Melody, Eden, Molly, Thomas and Toby - represented the school in the inaugural Bancroft Prep Debating Challenge today.

Split into two teams, the children debated 3 motions - ‘This house believes that cars should be taken off the roads’, ‘This house believes we should become a meat-free country’ and ‘This house believes 10 year-old children should be given the right to vote’.

The teams were asked to either support or oppose the motions regardless of their own beliefs. Melody, for instance, found herself defending meat eating despite being a staunch vegetarian! Each child was given 2 minutes to present their argument in a debate against another school with an adult judge deciding which team won the debate overall.

In between each debate the teams were given a short amount of time to formularise their arguments.

Both teams lost their first round debates but with growing confidence they were able to chalk up three wins between them in the remaining four contests.

The school is very proud of the pupils’ performance against very stiff opponents which not only included teams from Bancroft Prep but other local schools namely Avon House, Forest, Snaresbrook, Wells Primary and St Aubyn’s.