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Recent excellent performances by Maggotty High School has created a positive vibe among the school population.

The northwest St Elizabeth school enjoyed an outstanding year in the Schools' Challenge Quiz (SCQ), and finished as runners-up in the National Burger King Debating Competition.

The SCQ team beat Hampton and Wolmer's Boys on their way to being voted Most Improved School, while the debate team eliminated more fancied schools, such as Hampton and Manchester High, before losing to Camperdown.

Debate coach Tycon Allwood said such achievements have "definitely created a bounce for us here at the school."

"You can definitely see the upturn in terms of the vibe at the school and the mood of the students. They are excited seeing their classmates and colleagues on television; their school name is being called, and persons are now recognising us," he said. "It has definitely done a lot for our school, and while it is not the only tool that is going to help us push the school forward, it definitely has done a great deal in pushing us to where we need to be, and where we want to go in terms of making a positive impact in the students' lives."

Ashley Brooks, who is the vice-president of the Maggotty High School Debate Society, admitted that more positive recognition is coming from near and far.

Brooks, a lower-sixth-form student, said the successes of the debate and SCQ teams, along with the All-Together Sing choir a few years ago, is good for the entire school population.

"The students will gain that level of self-confidence they need to be a better person," she said.

Like in everything, financing was one of the team's challenges. There were other challenges, including the logistics of planning specific matches, getting back to St Elizabeth from Kingston late in the evenings and getting students home.

But despite that, the team stayed grounded. According to the team, the support of the principal was very integral, as well as the head of the language department and the wider school family.

Brooks said they were "a bit disappointed" with the defeat in the final, but added: "We, as a society, looked at the larger picture. We advanced to the final for the very first time. We made history with our small school."