After months of planning and preparation, Key Stage 3 students from Emmanuel College joined others from Framwellgate School, Harton Academy, Royal Grammar School, Dame Allan’s, and Benfield School on 12 June to converge on The Core, the first workspace to open its doors on the Newcastle Helix site. It was a fantastic venue for the inaugural Key Stage 3 inter-school NIBE debate, whilst at the same time providing the perfect opportunity to dispel some of the students’ fears and misconceptions about university life. Our thanks to Alison Shaw, Professor of Practice for Inclusive Education at Newcastle University, and her colleagues, for being such generous hosts.
In advance of the debate, staff and students at Royal Grammar School Newcastle had hosted members of fledgling debating societies from several of the competing schools, and the impact was obvious once the debate was underway. Thank you, John Smith, Director of Partnerships at Royal Grammar School Newcastle. The gavel was also very useful!
The crack-team of judges included Joanne Davison, partner at Muckle LLP, David Horn, co-founder and CTO at CyberWhite Ltd. Caroline Theobald CBE, NIBE’s founding director, was our compere for the evening, and even managed to draft in an additional judge at late notice.
With John Smith keeping order, students dissected the motion. As instructed, they treated the event more like a listening competition, and thus able to provide fierce rebuttals.
Many congratulations to the winning team from Benfield School, and congratulations to all those involved. Special thanks to NIBE for sponsoring the trophy and a prize for each competitor.
This event has certainly whetted the students’ appetites for debate and we will do our best to provide further opportunities. With that in mind, a date for your diaries – 27 September – where the topic is AI. There will be much to debate!
