On Wednesday 8th February, senior debaters set off to Clapton Girls’ Academy in Hackney for a regional heat of the Oxford Schools’ Debating competition.

Two rounds of debating followed, after which Nicola Medicoff and Zarah Drummond, both in Year 11, were announced as one of the six teams out of forty to qualify for the national final, which takes place at Oxford University in March. This is one of the most prestigious competitions in the debating calendar and qualifying represents a superb achievement.