Debating is when pupils are given a statement around important topical and social issues. The teams compose and deliver arguments from each side. By doing this, the children are learning more about the world they live in and their place within it as local, national and global citizens.

Debating Club is for children to broaden their horizons on current affairs and agendas that occur in everyday life. The club allows the children to exchange ideas and express their opinions on a wide range of topical and social issues.

Debating Club spaces become available every October for pupils in Years 5 and Year 6.  The club meets on Tuesdays and runs for around 17 sessions per year from 3:20pm – 4.20pm. During the session, the children learn the skills and language required for debating.

Developing debating skills is a very effective method of preparing and motivating young people for higher education and the world of work.

Many young people from disadvantaged backgrounds have hidden talents that require innovative programmes to enable them to unlock their true potential and break out of the poverty spiral perpetuated by circumstances of birth or environment.

Debate Mate sets out to:

What We Do

We work with Debate Mate who send in trained mentors to develop the pupils’ debating skills and prepare them for competitions. Through attending the club they get to discuss current, political, social and moral issues in the UK as well as abroad.

Throughout their time in the debating club, the mentors work with the children on improving their speaking and listening skills and develop skills such as leadership, teamwork and confidence. The debating club enables the pupilsto engage with the world beyond their classroom and in doing so address issues that affect them.

Our debating club has held show debates within the school on a topical issue to share what the pupils have learnt and also to encourage others to join the club. 

Why Do We Do It?

There are many benefits to be gained from debating, namely confidence, soft skills and academic achievement.

Confidence

Pupils are taught the skills of public speaking and given the necessary tools to develop arguments and respond to arguments, and become engaging and charismatic speakers with the confidence to meet and compete against students from other schools.

Pupils that are taught how to debate learn how to value their own voice more and use it more effectively. This ability leads to a boost in their confidence and, as a result, they are far more engaged in discussions both in their classrooms and in their life.

Soft Skills

The skills which higher and further educational institutions as well as employers find most valuable are communication skills, resilience, independence and critical thinking. All of these skills are developed by debating. This means that by giving our pupils the opportunity to debate, we are setting them up with the best chance of success in life, in their studies and in their working life.

Debating encourages critical reflection on a wide variety of moral, social and political issues facing society today. It enables pupils to grow in their understanding and appreciation of the democratic structure of the UK. It encourages them to be engaged in the process and to be able to make rational and well-informed judgements regarding the information presented to them. They are taught how to turn facts and statistics into a strong argument. How to use the right tone, pace, language and body language to engage an audience and convey their argument. How to listen and respond critically to the other side’s argument and use what they hear to develop a reasoned response. Also, how to structure your speaking and when to say the things you want to say.

Academic Achievement

Debating not only helps pupils to develop their research and literacy skills but also helps to equip students with vital skills such as verbal intelligence and higher order thinking skills. Research proves there is a positive impact in the classroom from students learning how to debate, with pupils making additional progress compared to those children that do not learn how to debate. Furthermore, debating also helps to raise their expectations and aspirations for the future.

Debate Mate

Debate Mate is a registered charity that hires top university students who are skilled debaters to become inspirational peer mentors who then work with the school to run after-school debate clubs across the country. If chosen, pupils take part in a 17 week programme at primary school level and can go on to work with them at secondary school level too.

They offer our pupils the chance to develop their debating skills and participate in local and national competitions. 

Competitions - Our Successes!

We enter 1-2 squads of teams of children from the Debating Club into debating competitions each year when our pupils face teams from across Birmingham schools. In doing this, they develop independence, confidence and resilience which they then transfer into their lives with huge benefits.

Competitions

'Urban Debate League’ Round 1 – won 1 debate and lost 3 debates.

'Urban Debate League’ Round 2 –TBA

 

Our 2024-25 debate team (years 5&6) , secured 15th place nationally and an impressive 2nd place in the West Midlands.