Debate Mate 2026

During 2025-26, we loved taking part in the Debate Mate programme. Debate Mate is a not-for-profit organisation which sends facilitators into school to train students to become expert debaters! We have found that students taking part in the programme see substantial increases in their speaking and listening skills as well as their engagement with school.

The 14-week programme saw Debate Mate's mentors running an after-school club. We were delighted with the level of student interest from Years 7-10, with nearly 30 students committing to the club.

First up, though, was the launch event, which took place on 5 November. Students travelled on the tube to London’s Emmanuel Centre for a fantastic introduction to debating. Boys watched a show debate featuring both world-class debates and past students from the programme. Students had a great time, with several commenting afterwards that seeing others debating helped clarify the skills they would need to do it themselves.

After this exciting event in November, it was time for students to put their skills into practice by taking part in round 1 of the Urban Debate League on 27 January. Our team headed to Chelsea Academy, taking part in two rounds, both against Wimbledon School - and, in both cases, competing against a group of Year 10s! Students debated on a pair of fascinating motions: "Should sets be abolished?" and "Has the rise of the digital world done more harm than good?" Despite the age difference, students performed brilliantly to win their first debate and narrowly lose the second.

After this exciting round 1, students were ready to take part in round 2 at St Georges Catholic School in Maida Vale, London. This time, we took two teams with students from Years 7-9. Students debated about STAN culture and whether the Government should fund UK students to learn abroad. All students performed brilliantly, against some tough, more experienced opposition.

When we got the results from this competition, we were delighted to learn that students placed in the top 30 of the "novice league" - made up of teams with students who have never competed in Debate Mate before! We are really proud of this achievement as it shows that the boys have been working hard in their training sessions to be the best that they can be - qualities we expect in our Isleworthians.

In April, we took students to compete in the Debate Mate Cup at University College London. The topics debated included: 

• The use of sports infrastructure and events as a tool for urban development
• Banning 'fast fashion'.
• Whether streaming services have made the cinema redundant. 

Students did a brilliant job throughout the competition. It has been a pleasure to see them improve over the course of the year, with more practice and experience. As a young group, it is clear that there is a lot of potential for the coming years! We also want to commend the entire Debate Mate after-school club for their participation this year; at the event, we were given a certificate for being the school with the best average attendance. This shows how much the boys have "bought in" to the club and the skills that it will help hone. Well done, boys!