Friday 13th June 2025
Stamford Students Win Oswald Elliott Shield at Inter-Schools Debating Competition
A Stamford team, Rosie and Hari (Y9) and Milo and Lyra (Y8,) enjoyed an afternoon of friendly competitive debating this week at our annual inter-schools debating competition, winning the final to take the Oswald Elliott Shield.=
Teams from Stamford, Oundle, King’s Grantham and Bourne Grammar took part in the competition, with motions including home-schooling, foreign languages in the curriculum and a ban on smartphones for U16s. The motions certainly engaged the audience, who were keen to ask questions during the floor debate.
The Stamford team were successful in their round against Bourne Grammar, earning them a place in the final against King’s, Grantham. The young team were deserving winners of the Oswald Elliott shield, a debating trophy designed and created for the event by Mr Mike Holdsworth of the Stamford School Design and Technology department.
The debates were judged by Mrs Helen Wells (debating coach at Oundle for many years) and Tessa Herdale Y12, Stamford’s incoming debating captain. Hari and Milo took turns chairing the debates.
Karen Leetch, who organised the event, commented: " In a climate where oracy - the ability to exchange reasoned arguments with confidence, whilst being prepared to listen and respond to the opinions of others - is so important, it was great to see younger pupils from different schools developing their debating skills in a friendly environment”.