Students talk the talk in debating contest

That was the subject a team of young students from a Burnley high school had sprung on them at a debating competition.

Millie Towers, Gregory Worden, Shakira Khan and Emma Taylor, who attend Blessed Trinity RC College, tested their debating skills at the PiXL competition held in Manchester.

They were competing against 13 other schools in the North West region who took part in three debates with the two highest scoring teams battling it out for a place in the nationals.

And although the Blessed Trinity team did not get through they won two out of three debates on the subjects of sensory music and international adoption, subjects they were able to prepare for.

Teacher Phil Park said: "Although we didn’t get through, the pupils performed exceptionally well, particularly during the impromptu debate on child beauty pageants.

“Overall, the event has proven to be a fantastic endeavour which has highlighted the versatility of our pupils in the field of public speaking.”