The Mount School Win Yorkshire Debating Matters

Published on isbi School News dated Tuesday 19th of March 2013

A Yorkshire girls' school has won a finals berth of a national debating competition just days after qualifying for the finals of a national public speaking competition.
Girls from The Mount School, York won their debates last night (18 March) at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in the hotly contested Debating Matters competition for Sixth Formers which is organised by the Institute of Ideas. The girls now take their place in the national finals in London in June.
Ed Noel, London Administrator of the Debating Matters competition said 'This year over 270 schools have taken part. The preliminary rounds of the national finals will be held at the University College of London from 28 June with the final debate held at the Royal Society of Medicine on 30 June.' Over the past 10 years, over 20,000 students from 400 schools have taken part in the competition.
Last Saturday (16 March) a team from The Mount School won the East of England finals of the Rotary Youth Speaks competition, a competition organised by the international Rotary club to encourage public speaking skills among the young, and earned their place in the national finals which will be held at Hull University in April.
At the end of yesterday evening, Elspeth Foster-Lil had earned a special mention, Alice Grierson was highly commended and Holly Gardiner was awarded 'best individual in Yorkshire'. With teammate Victoria Ellis, the girls are looking forward to the national finals in June.
Earlier in the month (1-3 March) twenty-four girls had taken part in the XXIII Bath International Schools' Model United Nations Conference, where Holly was recognised as a Commended Candidate and Alice a highly commended candidate.
The Mount School is the UK's only all-girls' Quaker School. Deputy Principal Victoria Sherwood, said today 'We are all thrilled for the girls and their fantastic win. At The Mount, our girls are able to grow and learn in a single-sex environment which allows them to be comfortable in their own skins. They speak with confidence and listen with compassion, and this comes out clearly in their presentation and speaking skills.'