A team consisting of pupils from Davenant Foundation School is celebrating after winning the Epping Forest Schools Parliamentary Debating Competition.

The annual event, hosted by Dame Eleanor Laing, resumed for the first time since the Covid pandemic.

The Davenant team, comprised of Martin Prinsloo and Osaru Ayanru, both 16, argued against the notion of "the internet brings more harm than good."

Chigwell School's Manrah Atwal and Arya Misra, 16 and 17 respectively, who supported the motion, were runners-up.

Both teams demonstrated impressive eloquence and analytical prowess.

This Is Local London: Epping Forest MP Dame Eleanor Laing presents the debating competition cup to Davenant Foundation School students Osaru Ayanru and Martin Prinsloo, with headteacher Adam Thorne Epping Forest MP Dame Eleanor Laing presents the debating competition cup to Davenant Foundation School students Osaru Ayanru and Martin Prinsloo, with headteacher Adam Thorne (Image: Davenant Foundation School)

Dame Eleanor, who visited the Chester Road school on Friday to present the students with their engraved cups, said: "It was a pleasure to visit the school and to congratulate Martin and Osaru on their success.

"I was delighted to be able to organise the competition once again.

"It was an evening filled with high quality parliamentary-style debating by potential future parliamentarians."