Year 7 Debating Day

Last Thursday 200 Year 7 pupils participated in their first Debating Day which was organised by a group of Year 10 Cirencester Deer Park School pupils and their Dutch exchange partners from Alfrink College Zoetermeer, The Netherlands.

The pupils spent two days organising the event including deciding the debating topics, organising a crash course in debating and introducing the Dutch to Jaffa cakes. The day was intended to mimic a smaller version of MUNA (Model United Nations Alfrink) which the pupils from Deer Park participated in, in February. MUNA is a three day debating event with delegates from schools across Europe. The idea of MUNA was simplified and condensed for the Year 7s.

The day involved debates on a range of serious and funny topics which included:

• Animals should not be kept in zoos
• Facebook is having a negative effect on children’s social skills
• The chicken came before the egg and the Jaffa cake is a cake and not a biscuit.
• England should bring back the death penalty.

Pupils were given time to research their topic before going into the debates and it was wonderful to see the Year 7 pupils fully engaged in the discussions. Pupils were encouraged to use debating language such as ‘I yield the floor to the Chair’ and ‘Request to follow up’, and listened intently to the opposition before putting forward their own point of view.

The closing ceremony was truly an international event. Mr De Haas from Alfrink College joined the ceremony via a Skype link and it was amazing to see the faces of the Year 7 pupils as they gave feedback on their experiences to Mr De Haas ‘live in Holland’. The week was a great success and strengthens the link between Cirencester Deer Park School and Alfrink College. Both students and 'Chairs' enjoyed the week and the Year 10s hope to go back to Holland to participate in MUNA next February.

by Josh Foye and Sophie Carter
Year 10, Cirencester Deer Park School

Related Links:

• Alfrink College
• MUNA Model United Nations Alfrink
• Skype

It was a fantastic experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Planning the event took a lot of time but it all ran smoothly on the day. The Year 7s were wonderful to work with and I was amazed at how positively they responded to us running the debates.
Kathryn King Y10

It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed being a ‘teacher’ and having responsibility for the success of the day.
Hannah Carter Y10

The day was great. It was really fun to be able to chair the year 7s debate; it was a new experience for me as well as the year 7s. It was amazing how involved they got with the debate and I hope future days will be organised for other pupils.
Josh Foye Y10

It was a fun and interesting experience with lots of exciting arguments. Whether the topic was silly or serious, we had a serious debate. Some of the debates were difficult and it was hard to find arguments for and against the statements but it was interesting to listen to each others opinions.
Gus Liebschner Y7