The regional heats of the annual Joutes Oratoires (lit. “Oratory Jousts”), a debating competition conducted entirely in French and organised by l’Institut Français, took place at St Paul’s Girls’ School, Hammersmith on Tuesday 23 January. Amélie and Constantin formed the school’s team, coached by their veteran mentor, Mr Atkinson. The first debate, on the freedom of expression, resulted in a decisive Tiffin victory against Colfe’s School Greenwich. This was swiftly followed by a comfortable win against Westminster School. Tiffin then faced a formidable City of London School for Boys team in a debate on immigration: passionate speeches on both sides, nevertheless, it was another win for Tiffin. At this point, we had qualified for the regional semi-final. Participants were given twenty minutes to plan the next debate: “Money provides happiness”. Tiffin were up against a very strong St Paul’s Girls’ team. In a debate in which both teams delivered ardent orations, Tiffin were awarded the victory. This left us in fifth place out of 46 teams. It was a hugely enjoyable experience – seeing a skill you have worked on for years finally work in a real competition is hugely satisfying. There was just time for a picture with the SPG team and friendly congratulations with the other competitors and organisers. Thank you to Mr Atkinson for the opportunity, as well as to St Paul’s Girls’ School for organising this event.
