A group of dedicated Year 9 students have been diligently preparing for the mock trial competition against multiple schools across West London. Since Christmas, we have been immersing ourselves in the intricacies of the legal system and sharpening our skills to compete in a courtroom setting. 

On 16 March, the competition took place in Wimbledon Magistrates Court, where we showcased our knowledge, confidence, and ability to argue the case effectively. Each student assumed a role in the court case, putting their critical thinking and public speaking skills to the test. 

Before the trial, Mr. Sahraoui, one of the club leaders, expressed his confidence in our abilities, stating, "Our Year 9s have put in a lot of work in preparing for the trial. Let's hope they can complete the job, make the School proud, and bring home the trophy on the 16th ".  

With determination and hard work fuelling our efforts, the Year 9 students were confident to demonstrate their legal awareness and represent Heston Community School with honour in the Mock Magistrate's competition. 

Our first round against Lampton School was a successful start as Heston’s prosecution team overruled Lampton's defence team. Our witnesses spoke confidently, and our lawyers asked challenging questions that baffled Lampton and resulted in our win. 

Our next case against Grey Coat Hospital School started shakily with their well-articulated prosecution arguments against Heston’s defence. Heston fought back bravely, throwing our own thought-out questions and pushing back resiliently, leading to our second win. 

Finally, after these two tense rounds, a fearful atmosphere crept up on the numerous schools, and the overall winner was announced... Heston Community School won! 

From this arose shouts of joy and jumps of glee from the Hestonian participants as we gladly accepted the glistening trophy! We are now proceeding to the second competition with schools from across London, where we will fight a different court case, and everyone will be given new roles. The students are already looking forward to this next step and hope to win this as well. 

“This competition was a brilliant experience. It gave me the chance to see how the court system works, and I found it really interesting.”

Clara McKeigue [9Y]