On Thursday 17 March, British journalist and newsreader, Old Silhillian and President of Solihull School Debating Society, Michael Buerk returned to the co-educational independent day school to Chair the school’s annual Big Debate.

This year’s debating teams were British-born international broadcast journalist and Old Silhillian Stephen Cole and Upper Sixth student Freddie Truman, who were up against Deputy Head (Teaching and Learning Innovation) Ms Harford-Fox and Upper Sixth student Alex Warburton. Both teams energetically speaking for and against the proposition of ‘has ‘wokeness' gone too far?’

Ms Harford-Fox said: “It was a fantastic debate on a provocative and important topic! Ideas need to be discussed and debating allows pupils to not only hear perspectives they might not otherwise have considered, but also learn to incisively express their own opinions.

While the proposition won the overall majority of votes, the opposition managed to move more people's position, so in some ways, both teams won!”