A borough school has hosted the country's largest debating competition for schoolchildren.

On Monday 25 January, Woodside High School on White Hart Lane hosted the first round of the 2016 Oxford Union Schools’ Debating Competition.

The annual competition is the largest parliamentary school-level debating competition in the world.

Over 150 students gathered at Woodside to debate controversial topical issues. Woodside's own debating society, who are current Haringey champions, competed in two debates on the evening with only 15 minutes 'short preparation'.

The Oxford Schools' judges will decide which of the teams go forward to finals day in March at the Oxford Union.

Eray Yilmaz, 14, who took part in the debate, said: “Debating allows us to develop confidence, self-esteem and the ability to articulate our thoughts about topical issues. The time pressure means that we have to really think on our feet.”

Co-Headteacher Gerry Robinson said: “We set up our debating society less than a year ago and they have already had success in several competitions. We believe that the skills developed through debating prepare our students to access the best universities and careers.”