An Enfield school will go up against 30 schools from across London in one of the biggest debating competitions in the country.

Pupils from Highlands School, in Worlds End Lane, Enfield, will compete at University College London in the Debate Matters Competition next week.

Teams of 16 to 18 year olds will travel from all corners of London to debate topics such as three-parent IVF, and whether the UK should leave the European Union, sportspeople should be seen as role models and artistic expression should ever be censored.

Judges, who include Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, Independent and Channel 4 News journalist Kunal Dutta and politics.co.uk editor Ian Dunt will examine the students’ ability to research a topic and respond to questioning when their ideas are put under intellectual pressure; with ultimately content ruling over style.

Successful teams will progress to the regional finals next spring.