Year 8 Scholars triumph in Regional Debating Competition

We are delighted to celebrate the success of Year 8 Academic Scholars Bea F. and Georgia C-N., who were crowned overall winners at the regional IAPS Debating Competition.

Competing against a strong field of independent prep schools, Bea and Georgia demonstrated exceptional confidence, clarity and critical thinking throughout the competition.

In the opening round, they argued for the motion “This House believes competition does more harm than good” delivering a thoughtful and persuasive case to secure their place in the next stage. Progressing to the top ‘cup’ level, they then debated the motion “This House believes England should follow Australia’s footsteps and ban social media for the under 16s.” Once again, Bea and Georgia impressed the judges with their articulate arguments, teamwork and ability to respond dynamically under pressure, winning the round and emerging as overall champions.

Their success reflects not only their individual talent and dedication, but also the strength of a St Mary’s education, where girls are encouraged to find and use their voice with confidence. Opportunities such as debating help develop key skills including independent thinking, public speaking, resilience and leadership; all within an environment where students feel supported to take intellectual risks and express their ideas with conviction.

We are incredibly proud of Bea and Georgia’s achievement and the way they represented St Mary's.

We wish them the very best of luck as they go on to the national finals in May.

April 2026