Talented Ripon Grammar School debate team 'blew away’ judges to make regional final in national competition

By Natasha Audsley
Published 26th Jan 2024, 15:51 BST
Pictured: Nancy Manners, Elizabeth Lamb and Anson Fong, with support from Beatrice Webster.Pictured: Nancy Manners, Elizabeth Lamb and Anson Fong, with support from Beatrice Webster.
Pictured: Nancy Manners, Elizabeth Lamb and Anson Fong, with support from Beatrice Webster.
A talented debate team from Ripon Grammar School has won through to the regional final of a national schools debating competition.

Nancy Manners, Elizabeth Lamb, and Anson Fong, with support from Beatrice Webster, triumphed in their second round heat at Yarm School, where they were up against stiff competition from Malton School, Wensleydale School, King Edward VI School, Morpeth and Dame Allan's School, Newcastle, in addition to Yarm.

Judges said they were 'blown away' by the grammar school team's well-researched and well-delivered speeches as they proposed the motion 'This house would abolish the House of Lords'.

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The Years 10 and 11 students will now compete in the North-East regional final of the English Speaking Union Schools Mace competition on March 12.

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Ripon Grammar School (RGS) psychology teacher Miranda Dodd, who supervises the debating club, said: "The students are entirely self-taught via their student-led Debate Club, which takes place on Friday lunchtimes."

RGS will be holding a House Debating Competition to give more students the opportunity.