A TEAM from Hereford Sixth Form College emerged victorious while competing against privately-educated students in a public speaking competition.

Malvern St James College was the location for the Model United Nations contest when the team of 15 were the only ones representing the state sector.

Many of their 12 public school competitors, who included Shrewsbury School and the Kings School, Worcester, were veterans of these events but the Hereford squad ultimately ran out comfortable winners.

Model United Nations events require a combination of fully developed skills in public speaking, reasoned argument and debate, in addition to the ability to persuade other delegates that their constructive solutions to issues of international politics are the most tenable in the cut and thrust of heated discussion on the assembly floor.

The team, formed from a core of those reading history, also included scientists, economists and literature students, and ably demonstrated the full breadth of talent that exists in the college to emerge not only with the outstanding delegation team award but also with eight individual outstanding, highly commended and commended delegate awards.