Two King’s Ely Senior students have won an award in recognition of their Spanish and debating skills.

Year 11 students Katherine Wood and Katherine Mann competed in the Spanish debate at the modern foreign languages (MFL) eastern region debating competition, held at The Perse School on November 12.

The duo had to debate on three different GCSE and social topics, including the advantages of the use of mobile phone technology, whether sportsmen were good role models to follow and whether learning Chinese should be made compulsory in all schools.

The girls were on top form, securing King’s Ely a win in the Spanish debate category of the competition for the second year running.

Head of MFL and Spanish at King’s Ely Senior, Esmerelda Salgado, said: “Participants were not allowed to read from a prepared script and had to question their opponents’ arguments on the spot.

“Both girls were fantastic in their performance, with brilliant spontaneity and quality of language which resulted in their victory.

“Enhorabuena y muy bien hecho!”

The girls’ success comes just weeks after two of King’s Ely’s Year 10 students, Annie Moore and George Collier, were victorious at the VI Hispanic Theatre Festival held at North London Collegiate School.

The festival, organised to celebrate Spanish language and culture in the curriculum, consisted of 14 short original Spanish plays which were performed on the night by students in Years 11-13 – and all in Spanish.