Debate Workshop for Year 7s&8s and 6th Formers at Cheney School Oxford
A debate workshop for Year 7 pupils at NCS together with Year7&8 pupils at Cheney School,Oxford. Sixth Form Mentors from Cheney School ran the workshop.
Aims
To develop the relationship with Cheney School Debaters as we now debate with them on an annual basis in our Inter-school Debating Competition. To develop school leaders by offering a further opportunity for Cheney 6th Formers to mentor not only their own pupils but NCS Pupils too. To give the Yr7 NCS pupils an opportunity to be introduced to debating with their peers outside school in preparation for further training and participation in debates at NCS in Year8.
Critical Factors are: Willing pupil participants from Year 7&8 and 6th form mentors. Teacher oversight. A venue/room in school and transportation.
Stronger relationships are formed all round with pupils and colleagues.
Background
A follow up activity prompted by the Director of Educational Partnetships after two Inter-school debates with Cheney. It made sense to link up more than once a year to build stronger links and develop debating skills.
This is the first workshop.
Resources
Resources: Transportation/pupils Yr7,8 and 6th formers/ a room/ two hours/
Two/three members of the teachng staff. A room in one of the schools participating.
Costs of transportation. In this case we used two taxis £20 return journey. There was an option to walk if time constraints were not an issue.
This was the first workshop but there are plans to do more.
Impact
No specific formal assessment but the response from pupils who took part were postive and they found the experience enjoyable. They felt they knew more about formal debating after the workshop than before. They particularly enjoyed the 6th Form Mentors being involved.
Pupil Involvement
Year 7 pupils from NCS - boys. Yr7 & 8 pupils and 6th Form Mentors from Cheney - both sexes.
Frequency
Single event at the moment but we hope to do regualr workshops now we have arranged one sucessfully.