Round Square Big Baraza

By Ms Kath Notley, Round Square Coordinator

During the term break, 16 Radford students from Years 10 to 12, along with Mr Jeremy Hawkes and myself, embarked on an unforgettable journey to Oxford, UK to join students from 50 schools around the globe for the ‘Round Square Big Baraza’. For this bespoke international gathering of Round Square schools, our students were accommodated at either Exeter College or St Anne’s College—an extraordinary experience that allowed them to live, study and dine within iconic and historic settings.

To help students adjust quickly and minimise the effects of jet lag, we headed straight outdoors upon our arrival in London and made the most of the glorious sunshine. We hit the ground running—quite literally—covering many of the city's iconic landmarks, from Big Ben to Buckingham Palace.

The students showed great stamina and enthusiasm, keeping pace throughout the day without complaint. Our walking tour concluded with a moving Evensong service at Westminster Abbey, where we were recognised as the 'Australian School Group' and given the opportunity to sit in the choir stalls—a welcome chance to rest after clocking more than 24,000 steps.

At the Round Square event in Oxford, students undertook a wealth of experiences designed to challenge and inspire. Some of the highlights included:

• Engaging in formal debates in the renowned Oxford Union Debate Chamber.
• Listening to powerful keynote presentations from students across the globe.
• Participating in ceremonial events at the iconic Sheldonian Theatre.
• Dressing up and dancing the night away at a Regency Ball inside Oxford Town Hall.
• Solving clues during an Alice in Wonderland-themed treasure hunt.
• Touring the historic Christ Church College.
• Experiencing the quintessential Oxford pastime of punting along the river.

Radford student performance highlights included Kevin Wong’s stirring piano performance at the Opening Ceremony, Thenuki Weerabaddana Dissanayake’s moving keynote on refugees and Tiasha Perera’s articulate summation at the Closing Ceremony.

Our students shone throughout the event. They demonstrated exceptional debating skills, delivering passionate and well-articulated arguments that established them as formidable speakers. The debate format encouraged active audience participation, and it was a regular occurrence to see Radford students posing pertinent and direct questions to the teams in debate. I commend our debate champions: Erica Li, Anika Chaturvedi, Kavin Panagoda, Emma Huang and Ben Wang on their achievements and all of the Radford participants for their outstanding contributions to the debates.

Additionally, three of our students led mixed groups of international participants in preparing for debates and discussing pressing global issues—an experience that deepened their leadership and collaboration skills. Tahlia Hunt, Joey Lee and Ankith Atluri were all impressive in their roles.

A small group of international students were selected to be part of a film crew, receiving professional training and support to document the event. Radford Year 12 student Sofia O’Brien was chosen as part of this team and played an integral role in producing the three daily highlight videos that were published to Round Square's social media, and the final event film, which can be viewed here.

The true value of the event lay in the meaningful dialogues our students engaged in. They explored global issues, exchanged diverse perspectives and developed the confidence and communication skills to express their views with clarity and respect. These conversations fostered a deeper understanding of the world and highlighted the importance of global citizenship—skills and insights our students will carry with them for years to come.

In addition to all these experiences, students formed lasting friendships with peers from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, adding a deeply personal and human dimension to their global learning. The Oxford experience served as a powerful reminder of the value of connection, dialogue and shared exploration in shaping young global citizens.

As a final note, in the lead-up to the event, students had the opportunity to hear from Terry Yang, Radford's 2023 BSSS Dux, who attended a Round Square conference in Oxford in Year 11. Now studying at the very college where he once stayed as a delegate, Terry’s journey served as a source of inspiration. I look forward to seeing which of our current students may one day follow in his footsteps.