01 Jul 2013: Withington Girls’ School, Manchester - Debating Matters Champions 2013!
Newcomers from Manchester take the Champions 2013 title
from left to right: Harriet Macleod, Hunadda Sabbagh, Alice Beardsworth, Sheanna Patelmaster and Andrew Lloyd, Vice President of Communications at Headline Sponsor Statoil
Withington Girls’ School from Manchester have triumphed at the National Final of the Academy of Ideas Debating Matters Competition 2012/13, which took place over three days at University College London and the Royal Society of Medicine, from 28 - 30 June. The team won both of their group stage debates on Saturday to win through to the semi-finals on Sunday, withstanding tough and incisive questioning from the judges and a very engaged audience.
click to see more images
Speaking after the event teacher Nadine West, who coached the team to success, said:
“It was a really exciting three days leading up to a thrilling finale. I could not be more proud that our girls prepared so well, stood firm under fire and spoke with such confidence and flair.”
The team of four – Alice Beardsworth, Harriet MacLeod, Sheanna Patelmaster and Hunadda Sabbagh - have won £2000 worth of books and resources for the school library from Headline Prize Sponsor Hodder Education; a Kindle Fire Hd each, donated by digital agency ClerksWell; and tickets to the Statoil Masters Tennis Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in December. Most importantly the team have won an all expenses paid trip to London for the Battle of Ideas festival, taking place on 19-20 October, where the team will take on the winners of the our sister competition, Debating Matters India.
Headmistress of the school, Mrs Sue Marks, spoke of her delight at the result:
“I am delighted with the girls’ success winning this prestigious competition at the first attempt. Debating is an important life skill which we introduce to our students at a very early age at Withington. Our girls develop confidence to put forward their own view point and critique others’ opinions; they are not inhibited by competition whether male or female.”
The determined team were put through their paces by distinguished judges throughout the weekend, including: Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, president of the Royal Society of Medicine and former chairman of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE); Ann Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Bureau (BPAS); and the author and journalist for The Times David Aaronovitch to name just a few.
Twelve competing teams grappled with a wide range of contemporary debates, including press regulation, the effect of developments in neuroscience on the law, trade versus aid, and the rise of megacities. In the semi-final debate on state funding of the arts, the Withington pair won through by arguing against the idea that the state was required to encourage art, artists and a public appreciation of it, defeating their very worthy opponents from Maidstone, Oakwood Park Grammar School - but it was a very close thing the judges told them as they delivered the verdict.
Tension then mounted for the final debate on the provision of IVF for older women, in which Withington were were arguing against the motion, opposite fellow finalists Gosforth Academy from Newcastle upon Tyne. Both teams put forward impressive arguments, and faced a barrage of questions from the panel of judges and the audience whom, having prepared for the debate themselves, well informed about the issues at stake.
Speaking after judging the arts funding semi-final debate, Dr Harry Witchell, best selling medical writer, said:
“The debaters are excellent examples of engaged, 18 year old citizens engaging with issues in a thought provoking manner. The level of research, the standard of argument is outrageous. My own preconceived ideas were definitely put under pressure.”
Across the three day final teams not only spoke in their debates, but also enjoyed a ‘Question Time’ style event produced by the Academy of Ideas. Raymond Tallis, Professor Emeritus of Geriatric Medicine and Consultant Physician, University of Manchester, travelled to London to deliver an inspiration lecture to the students on the Saturday evening on the importance of debate and ideas. In a speech which left the audience moved to give a standing ovation, he told the national finalists:
“The essential effort of a debate is that we can transcend our own understanding of the world around us…Good luck on your collective mission to add to the intelligence of the world, to its happiness and yours”.
Teams and individuals also received prizes from our sponsors, including: £4000 worth of books and educational resources from Headline Prize Sponsor Hodder Education for the winners, runners-up and semi-finalists; an all-expenses paid weekend in London for the Battle of Ideas Festival; tickets to the Statoil Masters Tennis Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in December; boxed sets of documentaries from the acclaimed BBC Storyville series; a boxed and leather-bound RSC Complete Works of Shakespeare, kindly donated by Macmillan alongside additional prize books; and Kindle Fire Hd’s for the winning team members donated by digital agency ClerksWell.
Judging the final debate, Andrew Lloyd, Vice President of Communications at Headline Sponsor Statoil said he’d seen:
“A very high calibre of debaters taking today’s relevant issues very seriously” and that it was “A pleasure to be involved”.
The Debating Matters team would like to thank all the judges and speakers who helped to make the weekend so challenging and stimulating for the students who attended, but most importantly we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our sponsors and supporters for their commitment and belief in the Debating Matters Competition. Thanks to: Wellcome Trust, Statoil, Hodder Education, the Medical Research Council, and Unilever.
Results
Winners: Withington Girls’ School, Manchester
Runners-up: Gosforth Academy, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Semi finalist 1: Douglas Academy, Milngavie
Semi finalist 2: Oakwood Park Grammar School, Maidstone
Best Individual: Alice Grierson, The Mount School, York
Highly Commended: Rory Weal, Oakwood Park grammar School, Maidstone
Commended: Hunadda Sabbagh, Withington Girls’ School, Manchester
Gina Owens Memorial Prize: Annie Teriba, Coopers’ Company & Coborn School, Upminster
Honourable Mentions: Alex Stephenson, Gosforth Academy; Harriet Macleod, Withington Girls’ School, Holly Gardiner, The Mount School, Jack Slone, Gosforth Academy, James King, The Burgate School & Sixth Form Centre, Samuel Watkin, Oakwood Park Grammar School, Sheanna Patelmaster, Withington Girls’ School, Sophie Coogan and The Cardinal Wiseman School.
FURTHER HELP
For media enquiries about the Debating Matters National Final 2013 please contact Justine Brian on 020 7269 9233. For all the latest news on the competition, images from the National Final and much more, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. And if you want your school to be crowned Champions 2014, take part!
National Final photography by Chris Sharp.