On Monday 23rd of February, our Year 12 and Year 13 French and Spanish A-Level students headed to St Peter’s School, York, for a high-stakes regional debating competition. It was a day of sharp wit, cultural insights, and impressive linguistic fluency!

Our students have been working tirelessly alongside their teachers and our fantastic Modern Language Assistants, Irene and Sacha. Their dedication to refining arguments and perfecting pronunciation was evident in every round.

Students had to think on their feet, arguing complex motions entirely in their target language. The topics were far from easy:

• Motion 1: Mobile phones should be banned for under 16s.
• Motion 2: Travelling is the best way to learn about other cultures.
• Semi-Final Motion: Art and literature are less important than science and technology.

The competition was fierce, but our students rose to the challenge: A massive shout-out to our French debaters Saachi and Oscar who fought their way into the Semi-Finals! In a nail-biting finish, the team missed out on the final by a single point.

Beyond the podium, it was a brilliant social opportunity. Our students spent the day networking with peers from other schools and chatting with University of York language students, who acted as the day’s judges.

“Watching our students defend complex philosophical positions in a foreign language was a proud moment for the department. They represented the school with flair and intellectual rigour.”

Well done to Nour, Dexter, Saachi and Oscar! You’ve proven that communication truly has no borders.