Banning zoos and advertising aimed at children or making recycling compulsory were three of the subjects debated by Prep Schools as six teams from local schools battled against each other in St John’s Annual Prep School Debating Competition.

Pupils from Cranmore School emerged as winners beating Belmont School in a closely fought final where the debate centred on the cost of the Olympic Games.  The six teams were evenly matched and the judges had a difficult task deciding on the winners in many of the debates.

St John’s Headmaster, Nicholas Haddock, who judged the final debate said: “I was very impressed with the quality of debates throughout the day. I was also very pleased with the involvement of our own Sixth Form pupils who chaired and judged the competition, often providing good advice based on their own debating experience.”