The Epsom Symposium is an annual event that occurs at Epsom College, bringing together students from schools in the surrounding areas, such as Gordon’s, Blenheim and Teddington. The purpose of a symposium is to present a speech on a topic based on an article or essay-style source and debate the different perspectives of the question in order to come to a conclusion. Then students are encouraged to ask questions about the topic, which can lead to fruitful, and sometimes heated, debate and discussion in an academic style and setting. The symposium aims to provide a space for students to academically stretch themselves, trialing being in a university-style academic environment, for almost all of the students, for the first time.

This year, Gordon’s took twelve Y12 students to the event, who were all presenting on a variety of challenging topics, from political systems failing to uphold the ideas on which they were founded to whether mining on the moon is achievable by 2030. The academic scholars were encouraged to take part to develop our communication, organisation, and critical thinking skills as we had the chance to collaborate with either one or two students from other schools, mimicking university experiences.

As soon as we walked into the Main Hall at Epsom, you could feel the room buzzing with excitement and inspiration as partners reunited or met for the first time before the opening remarks began. The event divided students into humanities, business and finance, STEM and medicine and sciences groups where we departed to different rooms to begin the first session of presenting. One of the most impressionable features of the symposium style event was how respectful and genuinely interested every student taking part was. As someone who loves discussing academic issues and social debates as a humanities student, it was utterly thrilling to be sat in the middle of some of the most intellectual and intrinsic debates, and sometimes interrogations, that I have seen between just students themselves, without the input of staff.

As the day was divided into two presenting halves and a lunch break, it was lovely to continue discussions started at the presenting desk at the lunch tables as the groups stayed together getting to know each other, discussing subject choices and university aspirations and making friends that I think will last!

Although the symposium nature of the event does not mean that there were any outright winners or losers, we hope to find out if any of our students were recognised by sitting in staff members who could recommend students for merits and commendations as a recognition of their professional presenting skills but also their contributions to the wider discussions and asking questions. If I had the chance to talk to younger students and academic scholars who will be faced with the opportunity of attending this event, I would encourage them to do it! Step out of your comfort zone and get stuck in as your contributions will be well received and definitely valued

• Kate