The start to the Spring term has proven to be an exciting and intense one for our debating teams as they took on two of the most competitive and renowned school debating tournaments in the country – the Cambridge Schools Debating Competition and the Oxford Schools Debating Competition. With challenging motions, fierce competition and impressive performances, our students demonstrated exceptional skill, resilience and passion for debating. Read what Mrs Khurjekar and Lucas (11C2) thought on the experiences, outstanding performances and memorable moments from both competitions.
Cambridge Schools Debating Competition — Saturday 25 January 2025
- Written by Mrs Khurjekar, Teacher of Theology & Philosophy and Head of Debating
Mrs Sellen and I had the pleasure of accompanying 4 wonderful debating teams to SHHS for the prestigious Cambridge Schools (Regionals) Debating Competition, one of the hardest competitions in the Debating circuit.
The debate topics were quirkier than usual, from Whaling in Gaming to the merits of Youth Academy Systems in Sports. It definitely gave our debaters lots to think about.
Only 5 teams could go through to the Final, but sadly we didn’t make the cut this time around.
William (SFS2) and Sohan (SFM2), both in Upper Sixth, placed 9th out of 36 teams and were only one point away from getting through to the Final. This is especially impressive because, due to mock exam preparation, Upper Sixth have not debated competitively since June 2024.
We also caught up with James Cater (OH 2023), who was the adjudicator. James competitively debates at Cambridge University, building on his success since he left Habs Boys. He was very encouraging and congratulated our students on their achievements, noting it was a super close competition.
Oxford Schools Debating Competition — Wednesday 29 January 2025
- Written by Lucas (11C2)
We sent 4 teams to compete at the North London Regional round for the Oxford Schools Debating Competition, one of the largest in the world.
The debates got underway, and we discussed topics including the prioritisation of historic female literature and the commercialisation of sports. We had some very close Habs vs Habs debates which made the event even more exciting. Unfortunately, there were only two rounds due to the time constraints of the competition. Even in just two rounds, all of our teams got significant feedback from judges and learned lots of important lessons to carry forward.
As we waited for the break announcement, nerves filled the room and a sense of pessimism started to seep through. This was immediately dismissed when not just one, but two of our teams placed high enough to qualify for the Final. Samit (11R1) and Aarav (11H2), both in Year 11, broke in 6th position, automatically qualifying for the Finals Day in Oxford, with Madhav (SFC1) and Gautham (SFC1), both in Lower Sixth, qualifying as reserves should any other teams drop out.
Our other teams competing also did very well, placing highly out of 52 other teams.
Finally, a big thank you must go to Mr Clark for accompanying the teams and his integral suggestion to change from the Jubilee to the Metropolitan line. He made the whole event happen and ensured we were not any later than we already were.
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