Category: News

With schools closed for the majority of students and lockdown underway, we want to offer some support for teachers thinking about what to engage pupils with. There is lots that can be done to generate a spirit of intellectual inquiry, discussion and debate.  

We’ve always referred to teachers as the ‘unsung heroes’ of the competition. Indeed, the resilience of many teachers and the hard work that organising classes remotely will entail means that teachers are ‘unsung heroes’ for society more broadly. We want to support teachers as much as possible. 

Continue reading “A message from Debating Matters”

A thoughtful and determined team from Humboldt Gymnasium beat eleven other schools from around Berlin to win the coveted Debating Matters Berlin trophy at an essential day of debate hosted by University of Applied Sciences Europe (UE) and supported by Freiblickinstitut. In a challenging and at times charged final on whether Germany should pay reparations for its colonial past, Humboldt, arguing in favour, triumphed over Lessing Gymnasium.

Continue reading “Humboldt Gymnasium clinch victory at Debating Matters Berlin 2020”

On Wednesday 5 February, a thoughtful and determined team from The Burgate School and Sixth Form beat seven other schools from the local area to win the coveted Debating Matters Southampton 2020 trophy at a stimulating day of debate hosted by Solent University and supported by NATS.

Burgate, Debating Matters stalwarts who were eager to win their first trophy, triumphed over King Edward VI School in a truly enlightening final on whether museums should repatriate colonial-era cultural artefacts.

Continue reading “The Burgate School and Sixth Form return victorious from Debating Matters Southampton Championship”

On Thursday 23 January, a measured and resilient team from Sturminster Newton Sixth Form beat seven other schools from Dorset and surrounding counties to win the coveted Debating Matters South West trophy at an enthralling day of debate hosted by Sherborne Girls School. The hosts, who won the 2018/19 Championship, were narrowly beaten in a tense and hard-fought final where the teams grappled with the issues surrounding repatriation of cultural artefacts.

Continue reading “Sturminster Newton Sixth Form seal victory at Debating Matters South West Championship”

Sherborne Girls School has made this short video making the case for debating in schools. We think it is a perfect encapsulation of why Debating Matters exists and thank the school for letting us share it here:

Sherborne Girls will be hosting Debating Matters again on Thursday 23 January when eight teams will gather for our South West Championship 2020.

Sixth-form students from eight schools in Southampton will battle it out for the title of Debating Matters Southampton Champions 2020 at a flagship day of debate on Wednesday 5 February. The event will be hosted by Solent University and produced in partnership with NATS.

Registration is now open for the competition, which sees 16- to 18-year-olds take part in a series of debates in what has been dubbed ‘the UK’s toughest debating competition’. Local schools will enter teams of between four and six sixth-form students, and Debating Matters particularly welcomes applications from schools without a history of traditional debating.

Continue reading “Calling all Sixth Formers! Debating Matters returns to Solent University for Southampton Championship”

Sixth-form students from eight schools in the South West will battle it out for the title of Debating Matters South West Champions 2020 at a flagship day of debate on Thursday 23^rd January. We are delighted to be returning to Sherborne Girls School, Dorset for this championship.

Registration is now open for the competition, which sees 16- to 18-year-olds take part in a series of debates in what has been dubbed ‘the UK’s toughest debating competition’. Local schools will enter teams of between four and six sixth-form students, and Debating Matters particularly welcomes applications from schools without a history of traditional debating.

After a very successful competition last year at Sherborne Girl’s School, where the competition saw an extremely high level of debate and many distinguished judges putting students under pressure, we are sure to be in for a great day.

Continue reading “Debating Matters returns to Sherborne Girls School for South West Championship”

Debating Matters came to the historic city of Durham on Friday 5 July to give six schools from across the North East the chance to engage in a day of ideas-driven public debate.

After a uniquely close day – featuring, for the first time, two tie-break decisions to separate the schools in each of the two groups – it was Hartlepool Sixth Form College who triumphed, impressing the judges throughout the day with their intellectual bravery and ability to stick to their guns under pressure.

Continue reading “Hartlepool Sixth Form College clinch Debating Matters North East Championship 2019”

Debating Matters has a showcase day as part of the Oxford Festival of the Arts – with a special evening event to boot.

Debating Matters came to the Oxford Union to give eight local schools the chance to test their ideas and arguments in the unique debating format where substance rather than style carries the day. After a hard-fought day of debate, it was Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School who came out on top, impressing the judges and their peers with their outstanding ability to marshal arguments and discuss complex topics.

Continue reading “Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School wins DM Oxfordshire Championship”

As part of our DM Oxfordshire Championship 2019, the final debate of the competition and an extra public debate are being presented as a special event at the Oxford Union. This two-part event is part of the Oxford Festival of the Arts. You can buy tickets here.

Continue reading “Special DM public debate at Oxford Union on 27 June”