A QUICK thinking debating team are through to the penultimate round of a prestigious national competition in their first year.

Thirsk School and Sixth Form College’s newly established debating team fought off competition from the highly regarded Newcastle Royal Grammar School to reach the regional finals in the English Speaking Union’s Schools Mace competition.

Arguing over the merits of all female short lists in parliamentary constituencies, Thirsk’s Louis Benoit and Aidan Tulloch were praised by the judges for their comprehensive rebuttal of the opposition’s points and ideas.

Assistant head, Mr Hollis said: “Both Louis and Aidan showed the high level of intellectual calibre and incisive evaluation that the sixth form college looks for in all of its students.”

The contest is the oldest and largest UK schools debating competition, having been won in recent years by prestigious schools such as Dulwich, Eton and St Paul’s.