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Year 6 Debating Team win local heat!

Our Debating Competition

On Wednesday 15^th March, six children from Riverside Community Primary School (us) competed in a debating competition alongside five other schools.

We set off in a mini bus from Tower Taxis around about twenty minutes after we had arrived at school. On the way there everyone was very chatty and excited, but as soon as we spotted the Civic Centre and how grand and important it looked, everybody soon simmered down.

We walked into the building trying to look like very professional businessmen/women but our attempts weren’t that successful. When we arrived at the front desk, Mrs Cowler (our teacher) informed the desk secretary of our arrival.

Whilst nervously shuffling about on the spot, we scanned the room to check out the competition. After a few minutes, one of the County Council members opened the doors to the debating chamber.

After waiting a further five more minutes, everybody settled themselves down and laid their notes out on the desks. The councillors picked a name out of a “hat” to decide which school would speak first (it wasn’t us!)

The questioners (Hannah Redmond, Sebastian Gray, Ruby Simpson and Harry Shooter) had to listen very carefully to all of the speakers so that they could ask difficult questions to try and, if you will, “psych out” all of the other schools so that they would be blown off course.

Eventually, after four of the six schools had spoken, it was Indi’s and Sophie’s turn to speak. Indi was debating why homework isn’t a waste of time whereas Sophie had to debate on why homework is a waste of time. Because we had practised so many times in the classrooms at break times and at home we had managed to memorise the speeches and questions, so at the competition we felt more prepared and confident.

After all the schools had spoken the councillors went into a different room so that they could add up the scores privately without being overheard. They finally came back into the room and sat down at the front.

They announced the results: “First place goes to….. Riverside!” We all sat there squirming in our seats, overjoyed at the thought of going to compete in the finals of competition. “First runners-up…. Athelstan.” The councillors called both Athelstan and us up to the front and gave Athelston a small silver medal and then presented Riverside with large, shiny gold medals as well as a plaque and certificate.

All round we had lots of fun and really, really enjoyed it. It was such a brilliant day out and we cannot wait to go to the finals in June!

DebatingTeam

By Hannah Redmond, Indi Bryant-Chesters, Ruby Simpson, Sophie McClure, Harry Shooter and Sebastian Gray. The Debating team of Riverside Community Primary School.