Sixth Form Inter-House Debating Competition 2024

James Sinclair, Teacher of Classics, wrote:

The stage was set on the Olivier stage on Monday evening for the much-anticipated Final of the Sixth Form Inter-House Debating Competition 2024. In order to make it to this point, the finalist Houses – Cowell’s and Oakthorpe – had defeated three other teams each in debates since the beginning of the competition in September. Cowell’s proposed the motion ‘This House believes that the personal actions of an artist should influence how their work is judged’. Oakthorpe opposed the motion.

The standard of debating for the Final was incredibly high. The Olivier was full with supporters from the respective Houses, as well as ‘cross-benchers’ with no party allegiance. Roli Oseragbaje from Macnamara’s chaired the debate in an impressive fashion. In the judging panel, I was delighted to be joined by Anastasia Elliott, Henry Moore, Paula Diaz Rogado and the Warden. We had a very difficult job to decide which House should win the competition.

However, there could only be one winning team. Very well done to the Oakthorpe team of Tallulah Parshall, Cecily Brown and Eva Scates for winning the debate and the overall competition. The Cowell’s team of Corban Goodsell, Will Wigmore and Daniel Shuter came a very close second, and did extremely well throughout the competition.

I greatly look forward to the Junior Inter-House Debating Competition next term. My thanks as ever to all those involved, from every round right through to the Final.