Womble Bond Dickinson / Leeds Salon Years 10&11 Debating Competition 2024 Final
Thursday 21st March, the final of our annual debating competition for years 10&11 students takes place at the Leeds offices of Headline Partner and leading transatlantic law firm Womble Bond Dickinson. Following the qualifying rounds in January and February, four schools will compete to become 2024 champions. This is the 11th year of the competition, which uses the format of the sixth-form Debating Matters competition.
Headline Partner: Womble Bond Dickinson (Leeds)
Prize Sponsors: Royal Armouries Museum (Leeds), Tectonic Interactive Ltd & University of Leeds: Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied (IDEA) Centre
15:00 – DEBATE 1 – “We should accept the risk inherent in contact sports”
FOR: Guiseley School
AGAINST: Cardinal Heenan Catholic High
Judges:
Dan Clayton, The Leeds Salon
David Cole, Womble Bond Dickinson
Ruby Hornsby, University of Leeds
16:10 – DEBATE 2 – “Billionaires owning media companies is bad for democracy”
FOR: Mount St Mary’s Catholic High
AGAINST: Abbey Grange CofE Academy
Judges:
Robbie Arrell, University of Leeds
Paul Butterworth, NHS England
Dan Clayton, The Leeds Salon
17:15 – Break & Winners of Debates 1 & 2 to be announced
17:40 – FINAL – “Monuments to controversial historical figures should remain”
FOR: Winners of Debate 1 – Cardinal Heenan Catholic High
AGAINST: Winners of Debate 2 – Abbey Grange CofE Academy
Judges:
Annabel Carington, The Firmament
John Connor, Womble Bond Dickinson
Nat Edwards, Royal Armouries Museum
17:50-19:30 – Judge’s Deliberations & Results
Individual Prize Judges: Jo Caswell, Creative Project Consultant, Russell Thomas, HM Revenue & Customs and Aylaia Tombros-McIvor, Government Legal Department
2024 CHAMPIONS: Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School
RUNNERS-UP: Abbey Grange CofE Academy
BEST INDIVIDUAL PRIZE: Iris Podesta, Guiseley School
HIGHLY COMMENDED PRIZE: Korede Ayileka, Cardinal Heenan Catholic High
COMMENDED INDIVIDUAL PRIZE: Dan Garfield, Guiseley School