Debating is one of the most vigorous societies at BWS, with regular weekly debates involving a large number of students and a track record of success in national competitions. Student-led, the Society Chair organises debates in W3 every Friday, each featuring six main speakers and a lively floor debate.

In 2017-18 Chairman Benedict Barrett has organised over 40 debates, featuring well over 50 different speakers from Years 10 to 13 from BWS and South Wilts, so levels of participation are very high. New speakers are always welcome and typically get into debating by offering a short floor speech from the audience, before feeling ready to volunteer for a 5-minute main speech, and are given support by experienced debaters to help build their confidence.

A typical BWS lunchtime debate

We work closely with the South Wilts Debating Society, and sixth form girls regularly speak in BWS lunchtime debates, with Bishop’s debaters reciprocating at some Thursday debates at SWGS.

BWS also enters teams into a variety of national competitions every year, and is one of the leading state schools on the Debating circuit, with coaching from a former Worlds-winning England Coach.

In 2017-18 BWS were South-West Champions in the ESU Schools Mace, the national schools championships, going to the England Final in March 2018. We also won through qualifying round to reach the Finals Days of both the Cambridge, and two BWS teams participated in Oxford Finals Day.

Benedict Barrett & Andrew White at the Schools Mace England Final in March 2018

The victorious BWS and SWGS Debate squads in Taunton after qualifying 5 teams to Oxford Finals Day, January 2018

Past successes have included breaking two teams to the semis at Oxford in 2016 and 2015, when BWS reached the Grand Final, being South-West Mace Champions in 2015, 2014 and 2012, and winning the Tallinn Open in Estonia in 2015.

Benedict Barrett & Will Nath as BWS A in competition in the Oxford Union on Finals Day, March 2018

BWS win the Tallinn Open in Estonia, December 2015

Former BWS and South Wilts speakers are active in a number of university debating societies, and include a recent Cambridge Union President and a 2018 top-10 World Universities speaker. We are fortunate that our alumni continue to support us at tournaments and through running expert workshops.

Younger students are always welcome at any of our debates, and one of the highlights of the House Competition is the annual Year 10 inter-form Debating Competition, which is always run and judged by our Year 12 speakers. This year George Thompson and Will Nath organised the largest ever Year 10 tournament, featuring 8 teams over 10 weeks of competition, which saw 10J emerge victorious. As with our regular lunchtime debates, it was pleasing to see high levels of participation in this competition, including good audiences.

A fiercely contested heat of the Year 10 Debating Competition, February 2018, adjudicated by our Year 12 speakers

An important part of the Societies’ activities is public-speaking, with a Year 8 house competition being run and organised each year by Year 10s.

The Year 8 Public Speaking Final, March 2017

After this, our Sixth Form public-speaking coaches organise trials and prepare teams for a number of national competitions. This year BWS put out six teams under the leadership of coaches Oliver Hopkins, Conor Hocking and Curtis Leung; our Year 9 B team reached the third round in Southampton of the Rotary Youth Speaks tournament and our Year 11 A team reached the South-West Final of the ESU Public-Speaking competition for the second year running. Most impressively, our Sixth Form team became South West Champions in the Rotary Youth Speaks tournament on 21st April, and are now going to the England Final on 12th May

A public-speaking team involves a Speaker, and a Chairman and a Questioner who work with the Speaker from another team to give a lively and spontaneous presentation

Martival’s team with their (chocolate) medals as 2017 Year 8 House Public-Speaking Champions, backed by the Year 10 Competition Convenors and Judges

The BWS Year 11 Public-Speaking team, who reached the South-West Final for the second year running

BWS Sixth Form Public-Speaking coaches Conor Hocking, Oliver Hopkins & Curtis Leung, showing younger speakers how it’s done as they win the South-West Final of the Youth Speaks competition, qualifying for the England Final in May 2018