A Loughton student has placed in the top ten of a European debating competition.

Year 11 student Charlotte, from Roding Valley High School, secured seventh place at the European Youth Debating Competition 2019 in Berlin.

Following two days of tough debating competition from students across the continent, Charlotte, the youngest competitor, secured the top 10 finish.

She was praised during the competition for her extraordinary poise as a speaker, despite it only being the second debate she has taken part in.

Katie Collins, English teacher and associate assistant headteacher at the school, said: “It’s fantastic to see Charlotte excel in something that is so important in today’s society; having the ability to express your opinions and talk openly and eloquently about issues that affect everyone is a really important life-skill.”

The European Youth Debating Competition, run by European Petrochemical Association and PlasticsEurope, aims to promote science, technology, sustainability and diversity in 16-19 year olds.

Charlotte secured her spot in the competition after successfully making it through the UK’s national final earlier this year, joining three of the best speakers from each of the seven participating countries.

During the competition, speakers were required to debate topics such as the use of plastic, sustainability and the current economy, under the question: “Rethink, Reuse, Recycle: How would you shape a sustainable future with plastics and petrochemicals?”.

Sharon Jenner, Head Teacher at Roding Valley High School, said: “It’s a delight to not only see our students achieve great things in school, but to see them applying the skills that they have learned in the classroom to excel out of school. Massive congratulations to Charlotte – we are very proud of her.”