American School of London - 21 May 2026

We started our final session of the year by discussing whether being famous is more valued than being skilled before moving onto whether safety is more important than freedom. The group then chose to debate the motion, 'This house believes that evaluating students' learning through exams is better than coursework.'  

It was hugely impressive to see each student think so widely around a topic, considering issues such as mental health, accuracy, their own (often global) experiences, what works for teachers, neuroscience and AI/ cheating. 

Our focus was on using persuasive language to get the listeners on board, and every student did this well. The POIs were direct and challenging. We are incredibly proud of all the students who have attended the classes this year. Without exception they are all confident, strong and powerful public speakers. 

It is wonderful to see individuals work hard to reach their individual targets, such as speaking succinctly or coming to the front to speak in front of an audience with confidence. The real test is accepting and answering a POI. This forces you to think quickly, on the spot, and then attack with a strong counterargument. This can only be done with an appreciation of other viewpoints as well as a strong conviction in your own argumentation. This has been coupled with exemplary politeness and great diligence in counter-arguments.  

Very well done all!