The competition features some of the very best in schools debating, all vying for the prestigious title of Cambridge Schools Champion. Year after year many of the same schools enter. However, this year one of our main goals in running the competition is to widen access to schools which haven’t competed before.

Many schoolchildren haven’t had the chance to experience debating and all of its benefits. In order to give these children a chance we are running numerous workshops around the country aimed at novices who haven’t had the opportunity to try out debating before. These workshops will be free of charge and run by the experienced debaters of the Cambridge Union.

These workshops will consist of an introduction to public speaking, techniques for constructing arguments and an overview of the British Parliamentary style of debating. The ability to speak confidently in public is an invaluable skill that we think all young people would benefit from. Workshops in the past have been very successful at engaging with pupils and teaching them the basic rules of analysis that they can then apply to debating, the classroom and beyond. Particularly with university applications and interviews on the horizon for many pupils, the workshops provide an invaluable experience for students of all backgrounds and abilities. The workshops will be fun and engaging, covering a variety of issues including current affairs and topical news stories.

If you are interested in hosting a workshop please get in touch with us!

Places are limited, and are allocated with preference to schools who have little or no debating experience. If your school wishes to attend a workshop, volunteer to host one, or you just want more information about them, please email us at CambridgeSchools.Convenor@cus.org