Join Debate Mate!
Dear Parent / Guardian,
I am writing to you about an exciting opportunity for your child to work with an organisation called Debate Mate. Debate Mate runs after-school debating clubs in primary and secondary schools across the UK. In previous years, Debate Mate has held the Debate Mate Cup Final at the Houses of Parliament and Westminster City Hall; students debated important issues around climate change, the rise of technology and its place in today’s society, as well as political issues such as prison reform.
Students will learn the art of debating and how to debate in a formal setting for one hour from 3.00pm – 4.00pm on Tuesday’s after school each week. The club will be run by specially trained and DBS cleared university students and the techniques are delivered through a series of fun and interactive exercises and games. Debating is shown to improve students’ critical and creative thinking, confidence, teamwork, leadership, aspirations, resilience and self-management. Students who have been on the programme see substantial progress in their speaking and listening skills, their engagement with school, and a range of students have been shown to benefit (and enjoy!) these clubs.
The club will run for 17 weeks commencing the week beginning the 8th of November, with breaks during school holidays. In that time there will also be two local competitions, the Urban Debate League during the week of the 24th January and the 28th February. There is also a one-day competition, the Debate Mate Cup, in the weeks prior to and following the Easter holidays. The overall winners of these competitions go through to the national finals in London held at inspiring venues. If it is not safe for these events to go ahead in person, Debate Mate will organise for them to be delivered virtually and there will be more information about this nearer the time.
This is an extremely exciting opportunity for your child and will benefit their educational achievement as well as teach them key communication skills.
We would love your child to take part, so please encourage them to get involved and sign up with Miss Daly in the PE office.
Yours faithfully,
Debate Mate
