Fundamentals of Debating Summer Term 2023
Your child will develop the fundamental skills necessary to debate using a range of group activities and games, all taught by our expert mentors from top universities across the globe. Designed to suit all abilities.
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Starts: 24 April 2023
Ends: 08 July 2023
Ages: 6 to 16 years old
Total: £220.0
*New* You can select to pay in instalments or upfront (and save 10%) in the next stepJoin our upcoming 10-week course to develop your child's core confidence, critical thinking and communication skills.
Choose a club time slot when registering
Choose the day of your club and we will match your child to the ideal group for them based on their age and ability
Club start times - UK Time
Thursday
Saturday
11:00 AM
Wednesday
05:30 PM
| Week Number | Week Commencing |
| 1 | 24 April 2023 |
| 2 | 01 May 2023 |
| 3 | 08 May 2023 |
| 4 | 15 May 2023 |
| 5 | 22 May 2023 |
| Half-term | 29 May 2023 |
| 6 | 05 June 2023 |
| 7 | 12 June 2023 |
| 8 | 19 June 2023 |
| 9 | 26 June 2023 |
| 10 | 03 July 2023 |
Course outcomes
Students will gain the following:
Be part of our global community
Mix with students and mentors from around the world, learn from their diverse experiences and make friends for life
Gain skills for the future
Develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills which will transfer into the 21st-century workplace.
Have fun
Our clubs are interactive, engaging and most importantly fun!Our Guarantee
Help boost your child’s confidence
Our debating clubs are designed to help students of all levels of experience between the ages of 8-18. 83% of our students reported they feel more confident speaking up in class since joining Debate Mate.
We fit around your schedule
Our sessions run for one hour at the same time each week. You can choose the day of your club from the time slots available.
Safe and secure
All of our staff are trained in child safeguarding practices and have Enhanced DBS Checks completed prior to working with us.
A highly interactive experience
Your child will develop the fundamental skills necessary to debate using a range of group activities and games.
Moneyback
We understand if you change your mind and we are pleased to offer a full refund if you change your mind after the first session.
FAQ's
How long are the sessions?
Each session is an hour-long. We do ask that you log in to the session 5-10 minutes early to resolve any technical issues.
What if my child doesn’t enjoy the programme after the first session?
Don’t worry, we will give you a full refund if your child does not want to continue beyond the first session.
I don't seem to receive your emails.
Please check your SPAM / JUNK folder and add the email address: [email protected] to your address book. This will help to avoid your email moving us to spam!
What happens if I am experiencing technical difficulties?
Get in touch with us here .
What is your refund policy?
We understand if you change your mind and we are pleased to offer a full refund if you change your mind after the first session. You can request a refund by contacting us here . We ask that if you have any issues with the session or are unhappy at the level of service, to contact us and we will do our best to resolve the problem.
In the first session of the Juniors programme, students will get to know their team and mentors. They will also explore different ways of creating arguments for various debate topics known as motions. Through a variety of oracy-based activities, students will develop persuasive speaking techniques.
In the second session of the programme, students will explore different stylistic techniques and understand how to make their speeches as interesting as possible. Whether it be through their use of tone, hand gestures or language choices, students will feel confident delivering stylish speeches to their club and have a stylistic toolkit which they can use going forwards.
In the third session of the programme, students will learn how to structure their arguments using Debate Mate’s unique structuring tool. This structuring technique is transferable to many different scenarios and students will be encouraged to use it outside of the virtual classroom. They will also learn the importance of verbal signposts to make their arguments as clear and concise as possible.
The fourth session of the programme will see students responding and challenging the arguments others present. They will learn how to offer rebuttal in a debate setting and understand the importance of not just disagreeing but explaining why they disagree and providing reasons for this. Students will take part in a number of activities that will get them thinking and responding to arguments quickly.
In the fifth session of the Juniors programme, students will learn how to interject someone's speech with a point of information. These are short, snappy questions designed to knock down the speaker’s case and support your own team's argument. Students will practice offering, accepting and declining points of information in a debate setting.
In the sixth session of the programme, students will prepare and take part in their first full debate. They will put all of the skills covered so far into practice including PEEL, style, rebuttal and points of information. They will work in teams with the support of their mentors to create arguments either in favour or against the motion. At the end of the session, students will receive in-depth feedback from their mentors and will set targets to work on in their next debate.
The seventh session of the programme will see students develop their PEEL structures to improve the persuasiveness of their arguments. Students will put this to practice in a full debate where they focus on lengthening their speeches, improving their explanations and using verbal signposts.
In the eighth session of the programme, students will focus on improving challenges during debates. There are two main types of challenges in a debate, points of information and rebuttal. Both need to be kept concise and direct, to knock down the argument of the opposing team and strengthen their own arguments.
In the ninth session of the programme, students will look closely at different speaking styles which will aid them in defining their own style. They will look at examples of stylish speakers and focus on the techniques that they use to engage and persuade an audience. This will extend their own stylistic toolkit for future debates.
In the tenth session, students will practice generating a variety of arguments for a given motion. In a debate, it is incredibly important for a team to have a wide range of arguments in order to persuade the judge the most. By considering different arguments, a team will deliver a more persuasive case!
In the eleventh session of the programme, students will recap all of the key ingredients in a debate from PEEL to style, rebuttal and teamwork. They will work together to refine these skills and take part in a mini debate in preparation for the competition.
In the tenth session of the programme, students will take part in the end of term competition. Multiple clubs will join together to compete in their final debate, with feedback given from their mentors. Students will have the opportunity to meet students from other clubs and new mentors too!
In the first session of the Explorers programme, students will explore different ways of creating arguments for a given motion as a team. They will work together and practice communicating their ideas to the group, acknowledging how important teamwork is in debating!
In the second session of the programme, students will focus on developing their own personal speaking style by utilising different stylistic techniques such as pace, tone and language choices. They will analyse different speaking styles and work on developing their own unique speaking style.
The third session of the programme will see students developing their arguments using Debate Mate’s unique structuring tool. Students will explore the concept of bravery whilst preparing arguments using the PEEL structure to create persuasive and engaging speeches. Within this session, students will understand the importance of clear and concise communication styles in order to get their point across to an audience.
In the fourth session of the Explorers programme students will learn how to attack another speaker’s argument using rebuttal. In a debate, the judge is not just wanting to hear why your argument is so strong, but also why it is so much stronger than the opposing teams. This session will focus on ensuring rebuttals are specific whilst using creativity and Roald Dahl’s poem ‘There’s no knowing what we’ll see’ as a stimulus.
In the fifth session students will take part in the first debate of term! Students will prepare in teams with the assistance of their mentors, working collaboratively to generate arguments and prepare PEEL speeches. Students will receive in-depth feedback from their mentors and will set targets to work on in their next debate.
The sixth session of the programme will see students developing their points of information. Points of information are challenges offered during a debate, they need to be short and snappy! Preparation is key here, and students will put these to the test in a debate.
In the seventh session of the Explorers programme students will focus on expanding the length of their speeches during a debate by developing explanations and examples. This will be done through a series of creative activities introducing the questions 1) Why is this important? 2)Why is this true? into their speeches.
In the eighth session of the programme students will develop their rebuttals during a debate. This session will specifically focus on how to disagree with opponents respectfully. Students will not only develop the skills required to offer rebuttal, but also receive challenges from other speakers.
The ninth session of term will see students take part in a debate incorporating all of the fundamental debating skills and techniques covered during the programme. They will focus on including all of them during their speech; PEEL, style, rebuttal and points of information. Students will receive detailed feedback from their mentors and have a chance to offer peer feedback to their teammates.
The tenth session of the programme will see students begin preparation for a seen motion debate. This is a debate where the motion is given in advance of the debate, meaning speakers have the chance to do additional research and preparation before the debate itself.
In the eleventh session of the Explorers programme students will debate the motion they began preparing in the last session. The debate will focus more heavily on the content of their speeches and execution of their arguments as they have had extended preparation time.
In the final session of the programme, students will take part in the end of term competition. Multiple clubs will join together to compete in their final debate, with feedback given from their mentors. Students will have the opportunity to meet new students from other clubs and new mentors too!
The first session of the Adventurers programme will see students explore creative ways of generating arguments. Students will recap and refine the PEEL argument structure and focus on speaking up and speaking out.
In the second week of the programme, students will be introduced to stakeholder analysis. Stakeholders are the people, or groups of people, that are affected by a particular motion. By considering the stakeholders affected by a motion, students are able to empathise with different points of view.
In session three of the programme, students will continue developing their own personal speaking style by focusing on the specific style techniques of rhetorical questions and pausing. In a debate, speakers are judged equally on style and content - so how you deliver your speech is very important!
In the fourth session of the programme students will practice offering rebuttal. Responding to arguments is just as important as creating arguments in debating, as you are constantly trying to persuade the judge that your team's arguments are stronger than the opposing teams. Students will refine their knowledge of rebuttal and how to use this during a debate.
In the fifth session of the programme students will complete their first debate of term putting the skills developed so far into practice. They will debate on a motion relating to the Olympic Games and practice using stakeholder analysis for the first time in a full debate.
The sixth session of the programme will see students refining their knowledge of points of information, specifically looking at when to accept or deny a point of information during a debate. It is important to accept at least two points of information during your speech to show the judge that you are confident in defending your argument!
In the seventh session of the programme students will learn the tools and techniques needed to help them take the lead during preparation time. They will be taught Debate Mate’s preparation techniques and also take part in a full debate.
In session eight, students will be given a motion which will be explored as a group. This is in preparation for the debate the following week. Students will consider the various arguments for team proposition and team opposition, as well as the different stakeholders affected by the motion.
The ninth session of the programme will see students complete a debate on the motion given the previous week. Mentor feedback will be focused on the content of their arguments, as they had longer to prepare and create arguments for their speeches.
In the tenth session of the Adventurers programme, students will practice responding to arguments under time pressure, just like in a debate. It is important to not let points of information distract you too much from your speech, so this is a very important skill to master!
In week eleven of the programme, students will complete a full debate ahead of the competition in the final week of term. They will also set specific targets for the competition focusing on style, content and strategy.
In the final session of the programme, students will take part in the end-of-term competition. Multiple clubs will join together to compete in their final debate, with feedback given from their mentors. Students will have the opportunity to meet students outside of their club and other mentors too!
The first session of the Discoverers Programme will give students the chance to get to know their new club and practice choosing the most powerful examples to back up their point. The session will be focused on the topic ‘Fame’ which will be the topic of the debate in week two.
The second session will see students complete their first full debate of the Programme on the topic ‘Fame’. Students will utilise the content knowledge they gained in the first session and develop teamwork skills whilst working alongside their peers.
In the third session of the term, students will refine and develop their speaking style by looking at advanced techniques such as comparing and contrasting. In a debate it is not just about what you say, but how you say it! The session will be focused on the topic ‘Sport’.
In the fourth session of the term, students will complete their second full debate on the topic ‘Sport’. They will analyse the importance of sport in comparison to school and the skills both teach. Students will receive detailed feedback from their mentors to focus on in their next debate.
The fifth session of the Discovers Programme will see students refresh their understanding of stakeholders and how stakeholder analysis can be used in a debate to make their speeches more persuasive and emotive. The session will be focused on the topic ‘Space’.
In the sixth session of the term, students will complete their third full debate on the topic ‘Space’ utilising stakeholder analysis to develop their explanations and examples. They will put into practice the feedback given to them in their last debate.
The seventh session of the term will see students develop a greater understanding of how to challenge arguments effectively and learn how to direct their rebuttal to gain the most impact. They will also refine points of information and be introduced to the concept of protected time within a speech.
In the eighth session of the Discoverers Programme, students will begin to prepare for a seen motion debate on the topic ‘Languages’. They will be given the motion and spend time as a group generating arguments, analysing stakeholders and conducting research.
The ninth session of the Programme will see students complete their fourth full debate of the term which they began preparing for in week 8. In this debate, students will focus on creating the most persuasive arguments possible using the information they researched in the last session.
The tenth session of the Programme will see students develop their PEEL structures by expanding their explanations. Students will also focus on filling all of their time when delivering a speech to ensure they provide the most persuasive case possible.
In the eleventh session of the Discoverers Programme, students will complete their fifth debate of the term on the topic ‘Education’. Students will focus on speaking for the entirety of their allocated time by expanding their explanations using the techniques previously covered.
In the final session of the programme, students will take part in the end-of-term competition. Multiple clubs will join together to compete in their final debate, with feedback given from their mentors. Students will have the opportunity to meet students outside of their club and other mentors too!
In this introductory session, the students will meet their class and their mentors for the term. They will play some ice breaker games, whilst also being introduced to some of the fundamentals of making effective arguments. The students will start to generate arguments and will be introduced to style.
Students will take a closer look at different speaker styles and investigate famous speakers, both contemporary and historic, whilst exploring the importance of style when delivering their own arguments. The students will also learn more about persuasion and convincing an audience.
In week 3, students will learn the importance of structuring an argument using Debate Mate’s fundamental structuring technique and how to expand upon it. This session is very important to debating as a whole.
Students will understand the importance of responding to arguments in a debate and how to demonstrate listening skills. This session will look at how to structure rebuttal and offer challenges in order to succeed at debating. Students will also focus on justifications of arguments.
In week 5, the students will learn about the nuances of a debate and different speaker roles such as Points of Information and how to define the motion. These are essential to the development of debating skills and engagement in a debate.
After a brief recap of last week’s content, the students will implement all of the skills developed from the previous sessions by participating in a full formal debate. Students will receive in-depth feedback and will set targets to work on in their next debate.
Week 7 will provide details on how to expand upon different parts of the taught argument structure, along with putting this into practice, using longer, more developed answers. Judges of debates look very fondly upon this!
In week 8, the students will hone in on Rebuttals and POIs, focusing on improving the delivery in order to increase their use of Strategy, with lots of practice alongside. They will then apply this to the speech structure to put together a full Rebuttal-PEEL combination.
In the 9th week of the course, the students will recap techniques for preparing unseen motions and will put this into practice in a full debate. They will be expected to use the skills covered over the programme in preparation for the Competition in a few weeks.
In the tenth session of the programme, students will take part in a full debate focusing on ways they can expand the length of their speech to fill their allotted time. This can be done in a number of ways including developing your explanation, offering multiple PEEL’s or giving various examples.
In session 11, students will focus on how to generate and prioritise arguments effectively during debate preparation. They will recap key skills such as stakeholder analysis, PERMS and SCRAP. This will be in preparation for the end-of-term competition in the last week!
In the final session, the students will have the chance to show off their debating skills in a competition amongst students at their level in other clubs. They will be judged according to Debate Mate’s Judging Rubric, on which they will have been briefed prior to the competition, and they will be able to use all the techniques covered over the previous weeks of the course. At the end of the course, students will receive a participation certificate and you will receive a detailed report of your child’s progress.
In the first session, the students will take part in some debate-related introductory activities to become more familiar with their squad, and then recap the Debate Mate speech structure, followed by putting it into practice.
In Week 2, the students will observe different famous speaker styles such as Martin Luther King Jr. and will use these to imitate their style, and use this to develop their own unique method of approaching style. They will take part in activities to put this into practice.
Week 3 will contain activities both on the PEEL structure, and then investigating Stakeholders in detail. This concept can be complicated, so the students will take part in a variety of activities and games to help facilitate this understanding.
In this session, the students will discuss a motion focusing on the Stakeholders involved, as well as using all the techniques they have used so far in this programme and their previous debating knowledge. They will receive specific and targeted feedback from their mentors so they know what they are doing well and what to focus on as the term progresses.
In week 5, the students will be introduced to PERMS to help them create a foundation for creating and expanding upon their arguments. After a short debate putting PERMS into practice, they will learn about different styles of POI and how to apply them in debates.
The students will spend the first part of the session learning about how to use Strategy in their arguments, then they will put this into practice in another debate. They will receive specific and targeted feedback from their mentors so they know what they are doing well and what to focus on as the term progresses.
In week 7, the students will be introduced to the Debate Mate Judging Criteria so that they know what they should be focusing on. They will then have an opportunity to apply this in a short debate in the second half of the session.
The students will use a target-setting criteria to help them self-assess and create targets for their own progression. These targets will be noted by mentors so they can be monitored, and then students will use these in a school and politics-themed debate.
Week 9 will go into detail about defining the Motion and being the Summary Speaker. These roles are imperative to a debate and they will be covered in detail so that the students are ready to use them for the competition. There will be multiple activities to make sure the students fully comprehend these topics.
The tenth session of the term will see students debating the motion covered in the previous session. The students will have already begun thinking about this motion so mentors will focus on the content aspect of their speeches, as their arguments should be well thought out and prepared.
In the eleventh session of the term, students will complete a full debate focusing on all of the individual aspects needed to win a debate, which can be categorised into content, style and strategy. Students will reflect on their targets from previous weeks and have a chance to practice specific skills.
In the final session, the students will have the chance to show off their debating skills in a competition amongst students at their level in other clubs. They will be judged according to Debate Mate’s Judging Rubric, on which they will have been briefed prior to the competition, and they will be able to use all the techniques covered over the previous weeks of the course. At the end of the course, students will receive a participation certificate and you will receive a detailed report of your child’s progress.
In this high-energy introductory session, students will meet the other students in their club. They will practice making effective arguments using PEEL while learning more about the Environment. Students will explore issues around the Environment and develop contextual knowledge in preparation for a debate.
In the first half of this session, the students will review their knowledge of Stakeholders in a short activity before a debate. They will prepare, debate and receive targeted feedback on a motion about the Environment. Feedback will be focused on making, developing and prioritising arguments.
Students will practise the various ways to respond to arguments while exploring the topic of Human Rights. The activities will be centred around the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and there will be various activities discussing this. Students will develop their contextual knowledge and understanding of the subject while reinforcing their learning on rebuttal and Points of Information.
In this session, students will prepare, debate and receive feedback on a motion about Human Rights. Feedback will focus on rebuttal and responding to arguments.
Students will revise and develop their understanding of various debate strategies used to win competitions, including Stakeholders and PERMS. Using the topic of Sport, students will develop their knowledge and understanding of current issues on the topic.
In this session, students will prepare, debate and receive feedback on a motion on Sport. The preparation time should be mostly if not fully independent of mentor input by this point. Feedback will be focused on teamwork and strategy.
This session will focus on how to best rebut arguments and how to deliver convincing speeches using specific elements of style. Using the topic Science students will develop their knowledge on pollution, threats to life and how the government funds different causes.
In week 8 students will be given the side of the debate they are on, prepare, debate and receive feedback on a motion on Science. Feedback will focus on all aspects of the judging criteria including content, style and strategy. This feedback should be useful in the run-up to the End of Term Competition.
This session will focus on how to actively listen to your teammates and the opposing team during the preparation time and the debate. Students will explore the topic of Technology whilst improving their inference and analytical skills. Active listening is looked fondly upon by debate judges; these skills are invaluable.
In session 10 students will take part in a full debate on the topic of Technology. They will work in teams to prepare and focus on active listening during the debate to ensure they offer the most effective rebuttals and points of information.
Session 11 will see students reflecting on their own strengths and weaknesses in debating. They will receive both peer and mentor feedback and have a chance to focus on their areas of improvement ahead of the competition in week 12.
In the final session, the students will have the chance to show off their debating skills in a competition amongst students at their level in other clubs. They will be judged according to Debate Mate’s Judging Rubric, on which they will have been briefed prior to the competition, and they will be able to use all the techniques covered over the previous weeks of the course. At the end of the course, students will receive a participation certificate and you will receive a detailed report of your child’s progress.
In this high-energy introductory session, students will meet the other students in their club. They will gain a deeper understanding of how the UK Government works including campaigning, voting and policies, and they will learn about conceding arguments.
In this session students will prepare, debate and receive feedback on a motion about the Government. Feedback will focus on debating strategies including Burdens and conceding arguments.
Students will deconstruct the speeches of other debaters in order to develop their own style further. Using the topic Fame, students will critically engage with issues such as social media influencers, wealth and aspirations. There will be interview-style activities to emulate different styles of speaking.
In this session, students will prepare, debate and receive feedback on a motion about Fame. Feedback will be focused on how the students are using style.
In this session students will work in teams exploring a prepared motion on the Environment. Students will consider stakeholders, argument prioritisation and other advanced debate strategies.
In this session students will use all the information they collated in the last session to debate the prepared motion from the previous session based on the Environment. They will receive feedback with this in consideration.
This session will teach students the skills required to create their own motions, such as the correct language to use and assessing the different points of view. Students will work independently and as part of a team to create their own motions on the topics most important to them. Students will vote on their favourite motion which will be debated in session eight!
The winning motion from week 7 will be debated by the whole group and targeted feedback given by their mentors.
Students will recap techniques such as Framing and Burdens and apply them to different points of view to ensure they are fully prepared for their approaching inter-club End of Term Competition week.
In session 10 students will take part in a variety of high-energy activities where they will put their debate skills to the test against the mentors! This will give students the chance to practice and develop any areas they feel less confident in.
Session 11 will see students reflecting on their own strengths and weaknesses in debating. They will receive both peer and mentor feedback and have a chance to focus on their areas of improvement ahead of the competition in week 12.
In the final session, the students will have the chance to show off their debating skills in a competition amongst students at their level in other clubs. They will be judged according to Debate Mate’s Judging Rubric, on which they will have been briefed prior to the competition, and they will be able to use all the techniques covered over the previous weeks of the course. At the end of the course, students will receive a participation certificate and you will receive a detailed report of your child’s progress.
