'This House believes that social media should be banned to under 16s' was the motion of our hotly-anticipated Years 7 and 8 King's Ely Prep Debating Final!

Emily, Willow, and Isabella - representing the proposition - presented a compelling case, drawing on strong factual evidence and thoughtful research to argue for tighter restrictions on social media use among young people.

Challenging them from the opposition - Freddie, Prathik, and Daniel - delivered confident, articulate speeches, offering persuasive counterarguments and demonstrating excellent teamwork throughout.

After careful deliberation, the adjudication panel - Mr Howard Brown (Teacher of English and Head of Debating at King's Ely Senior), Dr Daisy Knox (Head of Classics at King's Ely Senior), and Father Stuart Thomson (School Chaplain) - declared the proposition team as the winners, praising the clarity of their research and the strength of their supporting evidence.

Bravo to both teams for their poise, preparation, and the maturity with which they handled a highly complex topic. We would also like to congratulate our semi-finalists, who made this year’s debating competition particularly strong:

• Jenny, Lucian, and Mariia
• Niamh, Siriya, and Hephzibah
• Clara, Evie, and Holly
• Tom, Huxley, and Harrison

Kudos to all of our debating pupils for their hard work, courage, and enthusiasm. Debating continues to go from strength to strength at King's Ely Prep and King's Ely Senior, and is a fantastic celebration of student voice, confidence, and critical thinking!