Welcome to the home of the Cambridge Union Schools Debating Competition 2022-23, one of the biggest schools debating competitions in the world!

Each year hundreds of talented debaters across the world compete to make it to Cambridge for the tournament finals, and ultimately for the prestigious honour of being named Schools’ champion. The competition boasts excellent opportunities for young people to get to grips with speaking in public, hone their analytical skills and countless other things, all useful for later life. With University applications and interviews just around the corner for many of those participating, the Cambridge Union Schools Debating Competition is not to be missed.

Finals day is hosted in the historic Cambridge Union building. Built in 1815, the Cambridge Union is the oldest speaking Union in the world, and has a rich history of controversial debates and influential speakers. Speakers who have addressed the Union in the past include: the Dalai Lama, President Ronald Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher. The tradition of high quality speakers continues to this day, with the Union recently hosting US Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders, President of the UK Supreme Court Baroness Hale and renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, to name but a few.

If you have any questions please contact our wonderful convenors, Luke Ashworth & Marcus Choy at cambridgeschools.convenor@cus.org