The Historical Association is delighted to announce the winners of the Great Debate 2025

Winner:

• Quinn Scott – Chesterton Community College, Cambridge 

Runners up:

• Anya Bensouiah – Kendrick School, Reading
• Fred Bosley – The King’s School, Canterbury
• Aimee Nelson – Bablake School, Coventry

 Finalists: 

• Emily Tweddle, Earlston High School, Scottish Borders 
• Hannah Brearton, Upton Hall, Oxford
• Rosie Thomson, The Maynard School, Exeter
• Isabella Passarelli, Torquay Girls Grammar School, Torquay
• Simona Samuel, Ruskin High School, Crewe
• Faye Davies, Withington Girls School, Manchester
• Cameron Brown, RGS Guildford, Guildford
• Riya Gunda, Newport Girls High School, Newport
• Lola Bibby, William Farr School, Lincoln
• Laura Cassell, Cheltenham Bourneside School, Cheltenham
• Suzie Du Prez, Didsbury High School, Manchester
• Shruthi Sasindran, Holt School, Wokingham 
• Wera Kedziora, Harris Girls Bromley, London
• Zoran Plummer, Victoria College, Jersey 
• Jack Buckland, Bloxham School, Banbury
• Lorenza Rees, Ibstock Place, London
• Emilia Tankard, St. Peter's School, York

The final was held at the Vicar’s Hall at Windsor Castle on 29 March 2025, and attended by 20 finalists from across the UK. This year, each finalist needed to have taken part in a regional competition and one of three semi-final stages.

The competition question for this year was: How can your local history tell a global story?

Students do not use props or slides of any kind and rely entirely upon how well they present their argument, demonstrating their research and full understanding of their chosen topic and its wider impact. The judges ask at least one relevant question of the students at the end of each talk. 

The judges explained why the winners’ talks stood out:

Quinn’s winning presentation was a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of how the history of the East Anglian fens illuminates wider global themes. Focusing on the history of the thwarted Hovertrain project between 1967 and 1974 and the seventeenth-century projects on fen drainage, it told a powerful story about past endeavours that have had profound impacts on his local landscape and led to the wider environmental tragedy that is unfolding around us. Quinn painted an evocative picture, illustrated his talk with evidence and kept the attention of the whole audience.

Anya’s presentation on the secret history of BBC monitoring at Caversham Park near Reading was original and moving. Underpinned by excellent research, it opened a window into the hidden world of the refugees who contributed to this important enterprise, and to the enduring value of the multilingual and multicultural exchange that it serves to symbolises. Anya opened with sophisticated questions about the very meaning of global history, and used her talk to emphasise the vital and ongoing importance of telling true stories about the past and the present.

Fred was awarded third prize for a fascinating examination of the Chinese labourers in the coastal town of Folkestone. Opening out from a series of neglected gravestones in a cemetery, his presentation perfectly spoke to the brief and showed how local history can tell a global story about imperial exploitation and the important contributions made by foreign and marginalised peoples, who, in his words, have been ‘relegated to the footnotes of history’. Illustrated with striking details drawn from oral history, it was a resonant and thoughtful presentation, which left a strong impression on the audience.

Aimee’s presentation used a corner shop in Coventry to tell an intriguing and novel story about the era of the 1930s Depression. Ranging from Britain and the United States to the Soviet Union, it opened a window into the varying experiences of this decade across the globe. Well illustrated by relevant facts and figures, it showed how some local communities defied wider trends and flourished, as well as how the Wall Street crash was mobilised in Russia to condemn capitalism and illustrate the benefits of Communism. It offered an alternative economic history of hope and resilience.

The standard of all the talks was outstanding and the judges deliberated at length over the winners.

The judges this year were:

Professor Alexandra Walsham, Professor of Modern History, Cambridge and President of the Historical Association
Professor Yasmin Kahn, University of Oxford
Dr Mark Roodhouse, The University of York

Many of those that have entered the competition this year have agreed to have their talk/story written up, and the HA will publish it in a dedicated area of our website to celebrate Local and Community History Month, taking place this May.

Without the help and support of all the regional heat hosts we wouldn’t be able to run this competition. This year we had 36 heats take place across the UK.

Read more

Great Debate 2026

The question for the 2025–26 academic year is: How important are personal and public records as evidence for explaining the story, or stories, of your local area?

Interested in hosting a heat? Get in touch by completing this form.

To register for a heat for next year, contact: olivia.dent@history.org.uk