Switched-on primary pupils from Warrington, Widnes and Frodsham tackled big current affairs topics in a brand-new debate festival.
Teams from eight Warrington Primary Academy Trust (WPAT) schools gathered at Beamont Primary Academy in Warrington for the inaugural WPAT Debate Festival.
Topics up for serious discussion included social media bans for the under-16s, sugar-free school dinners and whether it was right to spend billions on the Artemis moon missions.
The Beamont team was joined by teams from Bruche Primary Academy (Warrington), Alderman Bolton Primary Academy (Warrington), Callands Primary Academy (Warrington), Ditton Primary Academy (Widnes), Frodsham Primary Academy (Frodsham), Penketh Primary Academy (Warrington) and Evelyn Street Primary Academy and Nursery (Warrington).
After three rounds of intense deliberation, Bruche Primary Academy came out top by a single point.
Warrington Mayor, Councillor Sagheer Zaman presented a trophy to the winning team as well as medals for all who took part.
Assistant Headteacher Dave Badley organised the festival, which is set to become an annual event.
He said: “The WPAT Debate Festival is all about encouraging children to engage in the issues of the day, master the facts, respectfully listen to other people’s views and clearly articulate their own position.
“It was so impressive how the children engaged with complex, important topics, showing a real grasp of the facts and how to put their arguments across effectively and in a respectful way.
“It is vital our children are equipped with these skills because we see too many examples of exactly the opposite happening in the modern world, with often harmful consequences.”
Warrington Primary Academy Trust (WPAT) is a community of nine schools in Warrington, Widnes and Frodsham, educating more than 2,600 children aged 2 to 11. WPAT was formed in 2016 and quickly developed a national reputation for excellent standards. WPAT provides staff at all its schools with support, expertise and professional development so that they can provide the very best education standards for their children.
