Sibford students discover their voices T


his term has seen an increasing number of Sibford students making their voices heard. On Friday 16 November, four students from Years 10


to 13 took part in the Cherwell Democracy Challenge which was organised by Banbury MP Victoria Prentis. They were ably assisted in their preparation by two Year 10 pupils who attended as observers in order to learn more about debating. The team took part in two debates: ‘This House


Coastal investigations


believes that Gender equality is an unachievable aspiration’ and ‘This House believes that prisoners should have the right to vote’. Sibford librarian Frances King who accompanied


the team said: “Unfortunately we just missed out on the final but the team was able to take part in an hour long ‘Question Time’ of the judges ... a great opportunity to ask probing questions of Victoria Prentis MP in these interesting political times!” On Tuesday 4 December, two teams of Year 10 pupils travelled to the Aureus School in Didcot to take part in the local heat of the Churchill Public Speaking Competition. Organised by the English-Speaking Union, this is the largest public speaking competition in England and Wales. It challenges students to engage with wide-ranging cross-curricular topics and aims to help participants build confidence and experience in articulating their ideas and sharing them with others. This is the first time that Sibford has competed in


Team Sibford pictured at the Cherwell Democracy Challenge.


In September GCSE and A Level Geography students travelled to Devon to spend time at Slapton Ley Field Study Centre. Originally part of the Whitley family estate ... Herbert Whitley was a keen naturalist who established Paignton Zoo ... the centre has been run by the Field Studies Council since the 1950s. The A Level students studied coastal landscapes


and examined how changes take place contrasting the urban enviroment in Plymouth with the rural environment in South Hams. They also spent time back at base analysing field data. Meanwhile the GCSE students carried out beach


profiles, investigating the impact of coastal processes and human activity and in particular looking at the future of the A379 and the implications that this might have on the surrounding areas.


the competition. Head of English Sally Ward said: “Our teams were brilliant, they were focused and well prepared. We were up against strong teams who had all competed several times before, and although we didn’t win any of the individual awards, all were presented with certificates and commended by the judges for how well they spoke. The teams are excited about entering this competition again next year.” The following day saw eight Year 10 students


attending the Oxford Schools Debating Workshop. Held at Magdalen College School, the workshop offered our students a fantastic opportunity to develop their debating skills and learn about the British Parliamentary Style of debating which is commonly used in school and university competitions. The hope is that these


students will now train and support others at Sibford School with the aim of forming an active debating society in 2019.


10


Waiting to take part in the Churchill Public Speaking Competition.


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