Wellington Celebrates Landmark Success in French Regional Debating Competition

Published by Wellington College on Tuesday 3rd of February 2026

Wellington College students enjoyed a superb day of French debating success at the Joutes oratoires lycéennes, held at Whitgift School, with two teams representing the College with distinction.

Ella R and Clara M delivered a series of impressive performances against strong opposition, debating challenging themes including la vidéosurveillance algorithmique, l’Académie française and le vote démocratique obligatoire. After navigating a demanding group stage, they qualified valiantly for the semi-finals, narrowly missing out on a place in the final.

Meanwhile, Jamie G and Annie G produced a truly outstanding display, confidently debating both seen and unseen motions in the latter rounds. Their poise, clarity and rhetorical flair saw them triumph in the final in front of an inspired audience, earning a well-deserved place at the national final, to be held at the Institut français in March.

The competition host described the performances as “a magnificent display of rhetorical skills by Wellington College students,” and it was easy to see why. Witty, sharp and eloquent, Jamie and Annie were crowned South-East French Debating Champions — a remarkable achievement.

Marchons, marchons! Onwards to the national final!