TWO Upton High School students have taken part in a European debate.

Vanessa Ellis and Ashley Allen, Year 12 students, took part in a Mock Council of the European Union at Lancaster House in London.

The duo joined representatives from other English secondary schools and colleges to debate the future of the Roma community and the creation of an EU energy market for greater security of the gas supply. The event was organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the British Council and the European Commission.

Each school represented one of the 27 EU Member States and the Upton sixth formers represented Estonia.

Vanessa said: “I found it interesting to see how the European Union works in real life . Representing Estonia challenged me to consider the viewpoints of a country other than the UK and I learnt that 97% of Estonia’s gas is supplied by Russia.”

Head of politics and economics Lynn Loyley said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for students to learn about the politics of the European Union. I am very proud of the way they researched, debated and presented their case at the Mock Council. It is a fantastic event that truly brings learning to life for our students.”