The teams from Oxford Spires Academy, Cheney School and NCS were knowledgeable, professional and above all very brave in their speech making and rebuttal. It was quite extraordinary where the motions took the students, some very unlikely places as it happens, but what an excellent forum for sharing ideas. Unsurprisingly, discussion on who should choose their Headteacher (governors or students) went on long after the debate was over. In the prepared debate, many pertinent comparisons were made as to the pros and cons of the implementation of identity cards. Colleagues at NCS and the participating schools were most impressed. It was a delight to have such keen undergraduates involved too. They were firm but fair in their evaluations and extremely on-point with their individual and team feedback. It was rewarding to see the young team members finding a moment with them, after the debates, to try to glean further tips for success. Huge congratulations to Gary for winning Best Speaker at NCS and to Cheney School who were the overall winners this year. Absolutely everyone played their part in making it such a success. A special thank you must go to Dr Gausden whose expert debating skills were put to such good use in preparing the boys.