A NERVOUS team of debaters from Stretton Sugwas Church of England Academy weren't lost for words when they won a primary schools debating competition recently.

The competition was arranged by pupils and staff from Whitecross Secondary School and saw eight primary schools take part in total: Trinity, Marden, Kings Caple, Burghill, Lord Scudamore, St James, Ledbury and eventual winners Stretton Sugwas.

Each team took part in three debates, where they were scored by a team of judges.

The two highest scoring teams then went head-to-head in a grand final, where they debated the issue "Children today are wrapped up in cotton wool."

This is the second year that the competition has been in existence and, remarkably, is the second time that an all-girls team from Stretton Sugwas has won it.

Ledbury were runners-up in a very close contest.

Stretton Sugwas deputy headteacher, Ben Ford, commented, "Every single child that took part from all of the schools was amazing. The standard was so high. We're very fortunate to have won as it was an extremely tough competition. The girls worked very hard, though."