Yesterday, Tranby was very pleased to host students from Sheffield Park Academy for our inaugural public speaking and presentation workshop! As a member of the United Learning family of schools, Tranby has always sought out opportunities to work with UL academies and share opportunities with students outside of our school. Today’s workshop is to be the first of a number of events that bring together students of Tranby and Sheffield Park Academy, providing the opportunity for students from both schools to meet, engage in discussion and debate, and share ideas and views with each other.
Hosted in the sublime setting of Tranby’s Baccarat Room – site of the famous 19th Century Royal Baccarat Scandal – today’s event was a workshop on debating skills involving students in Year 9. Oracy, the capacity to speak capably and confidently in public, is a major skill for future success, and compelling research evidence readily proves the benefits of strong oracy skills to educational outcomes. As such, it is something Tranby readily embeds in its teaching and in its extra-curricular activities. Sheffield Park Academy, a dynamic and forward-thinking institution, shares that value and that perspective and, in today’s event, Year 9s from both schools were brought together to debate a range of controversial social and political issues under controlled conditions.
The eventual victors in the two debates that closed out the workshop were two mixed teams representing the best of both schools, and students of Tranby and Sheffield Park ended the day very keen for a future return fixture in South Yorkshire. Tranby is very grateful to Sheffield Park Academy for joining us today, and to our own Mrs Victoria Murphy for organising and facilitating the workshop.
Further shared events with Sheffield Park Academy will follow in the terms to come so watch this space!