Back in November 2016 a group of year 8 students, involved in the St Edmund’s Debating Society, asked if it would be possible for St Edmund’s to be able to take part in the DebateMate Core Programme 2017/2018.

The aims of the programme are:

• to improve the speaking and listening attainment of students
• to enable them to develop soft skills such as leadership, teamwork and confidence
• to raise students’ aspirations and expectations through sustained contact with successful university students
• to engage young people with the world beyond the classroom, addressing issues that affect them, their communities and the wider world through an activity they enjoy

Students, Elizabeth Ochran-Dadzie and Naomi Ricci, were tasked with fundraising to support the cost of this event.  They worked closely with Mrs Knowles, PA to Principal, and donations were kindly received from:

Julien Kramer, Director of Education (at the time)

Braitch, Solicitors

Heathcotes Print and Design

St Edmund’s Academy Committee

 

Proceeds from the calendars produced by St Edmund’s in 2016 helped with the funding of this initiative.  The girls were full of enthusiasm to take part in the project, as were the other 30 students who signed up.  Thanks to financial support from St Edmund’s to make up the difference, St Edmund’s were able to sign up in July 2017 to take part in this initiative and are the only academy in the city to take part this year.

The programme commenced in September last year, under supervision of Mrs Evans, teacher of English, which will run for 14 weeks.

Our students are doing really well, winning 3 of the 4 debates at the first round of the Urban Debate League Competition on 29 January which took place at Shireland Collegiate Academy.  They will progress to round 2 on 5 March and there are further rounds to progress through if they get to this stage.

On 19 April our students will have the opportunity to compete in Birmingham to win a cup.  At the end of the programme our students will go on to run an active Debating Society based on what they have learnt.

 

We wish them good luck.