On the evening of Tuesday 29 September, a total of 12 Tiffinians in Years 11 and 13 gathered nervously by the minibus, trying to work out whether they should believe Mr Atkinson and Dr Moore when they had said that this evening would be “quite fun” and “good for your language”. Mr Atkinson was hoping that the catering department at Ibstock Place School would return to the highs of previous years with the refreshments provided, but had complete confidence in the above.
All were rewarded. The students competed admirably and came away buzzing with excitement…or possibly sugar, given the presence of some of the largest and heaviest cookies your author has ever seen.
This genuinely beneficial event pits like-minded students against one another in teams of two. In three debates, in which competitors have the chance to set out their stalls individually at first, the teams then speak spontaneously to advocate for against a motion that links directly to their A-level course – all in the target language and all without help. They receive feedback from the teacher judges before gathering for the results (and more refreshments) in the Great Hall at Ibstock.
Though the performance of our teams was as mixed as the quality of the opposition, the students seemed genuinely grateful for the opportunity and could reflect on some notable lessons learned. With multiple wins across the five competing teams, it was the Year 13 German pair of Sinead OC and Lara MC who stood out, winning all three of their debates and therefore their competition. They can look forward to tougher challenges ahead, but will surely have benefited from the relaxed atmosphere, positive peer-group interactions…and those cookies.