This term, two of our senior teams took part in the 2026 International Senior High School Ethics Olympiad, and we are thrilled to share how well they did.

The Ethics Olympiad is a fascinating competition. Unlike debating, students aren’t assigned a side to argue. Instead, they defend whatever position they genuinely believe is right, and they win by showing they’ve thought about the issues more carefully and perceptively than anyone else in the room. This year’s cases covered a rich range of contemporary ethical territory, including privacy and gossip, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and gene editing, and questions of fairness in areas such as scholarships and labour rights. No easy answers, which is exactly what makes it such a great challenge for our students.

Along the way, students build skills that go far beyond the competition: critical thinking, ethical awareness, the ability to engage respectfully with views different from their own, and the confidence to defend a position under pressure.

The Results

We are so proud of both teams.

Our first team placed fourth overall, which is a brilliant result in a very strong field. They reasoned and argued with real depth and maturity throughout the day.

Our second team, made up of Year 10 students, also had a wonderful day, finishing eighth overall while successfully competing against older and more experienced students from some very esteemed schools. It was a fantastic effort and a real sign of the talent coming through in our younger students.

Congratulations to everyone involved. You represented the school beautifully.

Helen Douglas, Head of Humanities