Debating at Wallington - An Overview

Pupils from all year groups have had the opportunity to represent the school in Debating and Public Speaking and we regularly compete in over ten competitions in any given year, directly involving 30 or more students. Last year was the most successful ever and included the following highlights:

Senior debating – placed 20^th in the Oxford Union Competition -  over 250 teams nationally.

Junior debating – placed 8^th in the UK and Ireland finals – again, around 300 teams nationally.

Public Speaking – won the London region of the English Speaking Union competition, reached the National final (9 schools out of  500) and were the only state school to achieve this feat.

Represented the London Borough of Sutton in the London Debate challenge – coming 7^th out of 32 teams competing.

The last few years have seen us compete in Birmingham, Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and Newcastle, as well as being invited to events at Westminster School, the Tate Modern, The London Assembly and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. A number of debating ‘alumni’ have won offers of places at Oxford and Cambridge -  Gareth Lond, Praveen Pillai, Duncan Coleman, Rayomand Malekout.

However, we have yet to produce a Prime Minister!