Our public speaking and debating teams are getting the New Year off to a flying start with no less than four competitions in under a month!

First up is the second regional heat for the English Speaking Union MACE competition, which was held at St Paul’s Girls’ School on 16 January. The ESU MACE is one of the Representing NHEHS was Salem Y Hope G and Katherine M who opposed the motion: “This House Would grant all prisoners the right to vote.”

This Saturday 20 January we are looking forward to the ICYD International Competition for Young Debaters. The hosting of the tournament alternates between the famed Oxford and Cambridge Union Societies, and this year it is Oxford’s turn once more.  Established in 2003, ICYD has grown to become the world’s largest BP (British Parliamentary format) junior debating competition. ICYD is a unique opportunity for students in year 10 and below to participate in high-level debates against their peers from all around the world. The competition takes place online all day and we will be represented by two teams of four Year 10 students – Kara P, Sophie C, Adeline G and Farah N-R. Good luck!

On Tuesday 23 January we are thrilled to be hosting the regional round of the annual GDST Chrystall Carter Prize. This is an annual speaking competition set up in memory of Chrystall Carter, a former GDST Deputy Legal Secretary.  We will be welcoming students from Norwich High School, Northwood College and South Hampstead High School to our Recital Hall. One student will be chosen for her speech to go through to the national final by our panel of judges. Last year we were delighted that our very own Tilda J went through to the final of the competition, which was held in Sheffield. This year NHEHS is being represented by Jaan W in Year 11. Good luck, Jaan!

The following Friday 26 January will see our Year 12 students travel to Northwood College GDST for their Model United Nations Conference, in which they will be representing the delegates of China, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. The conference will provide a valuable opportunity for these students to practice skills in lobbying and negotiating with others on important issues on women’s rights, the treatment of refugees, policies on drug control, disarmament, human rights’ abuses, and the colonisation of outer space.

Finally, in February, we hope to host the next round of the ESU Churchill Public Speaking on February 7 where our Year 11 team of Isabella, Maya and Roma will be competing against other London schools. The prestigious ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition, sponsored by the International Churchill Society, is the largest such contest in England and Wales, with around 400 teams (each comprising a speaker, questioner and a chairperson). The different roles allow students to practise and excel in different skill sets, and the competition’s unique format, which pairs the speaker from one school with the chair and questioner of another, encourages quick thinking and relationship building.

In addition, every Tuesday after school we are running a rolling TED programme with our Year 12s, who are practising their speeches ahead of the final recording in March. The first session attracted over 20 keen students. Meanwhile our Year 12 Debating Reps are enjoying running Co-Curricular Debating Clubs for the younger years at lunchtimes.