By Mrs Bezzer (English Teacher)

Debaters in the Senior School were pleased to welcome guest speaker Mrs Ellen Punter from the English-Speaking Union (ESU) as she came to address students on Wednesday lunchtime.

The ESU is an international educational membership organisation which aims to bring together and empower people of different languages and cultures, by building skills and confidence in communication. Their debate, public speaking and cultural exchange programmes help young people to engage with the world, to speak more confidently and to listen to and understand different points of view.  

Mrs Punter gave an informative and enthusiastic presentation about the English-Speaking Union, covering a range of interesting topics such as its history all the way through to the present-day competitions and opportunities that the ESU offers to young people.

As we look to grow our BGS Debate Club and are keen to encourage all students to find their voice and speak out, this session was a timely reminder of the importance of our core BGS values and the significance of being bold, imaginative and reflective in our ever-changing and challenging world.