Debating Matters: from Key West to the North West (via Westminster)
Mo Lovatt rounds up a busy period of schools debating across England and looks forward to debates in Berlin and Beyond Bars.
It’s been a busy spring term for Debating Matters as we hosted a series of championships with students from all four corners of England and across the state of Florida, too. Now we’re heading off to Berlin!
DM Transatlantic
DM kicked off the year with the first-ever Debating Matters Transatlantic championship, which saw three schools from the UK take on three US teams. In a fiercely fought online competition, judges from both sides of the pond asked challenging questions of the students and pushed them to defend the arguments they put forth.
The final saw a British school, Oakwood Park Grammar, come face to face with American team ‘The Panthers’ in a thrilling final debating on whether Cancel Culture is a threat to free speech. The US team prevailed, by convincing the judges that free speech is under threat from cancel culture, with team members Rodrigo Deleon Ruiz and Rachel Ball picking up a ‘Best Individual’ and ‘Commended’ award respectively. US student Gabriella Rothberg took home a ‘Highly Commended’ award, making it a slam dunk (as they say) for the American Team.
The competition was the culmination of phase one of a joint project between Ideas Matter and the Bill of Rights Institute who are now working to deliver phase two of the project, giving students from both sides of the Atlantic the chance to debate in person.
The experience was very enriching and exciting. I felt I had a voice, as a student, on issues we need to focus on. I loved the difference in worldviews and the debating styles between to the two countries.
Isabelle Claridge, debater, The Burgate School
DM at the House of Lords
We were then off to Westminster for the third annual Debating Matters House of Lords championship, with schools from the north, south, east and west of England challenging each other in a range of contemporary debates, such as 'Humanity should fear advances in artificial intelligence’ and 'We should build on the green belt'. The teams used newly updated Topic Guides, which included information from the Lords Library giving details of debates in the upper chamber, briefings and committee reports.
Students from Aylesbury Grammar, Abbey Grange, Congleton High and Thomas Tallis School found it fascinating to be debating such contemporary issues in the same rooms where many of the upper chamber’s committee hearings take place. And the final was no exception as Aylesbury Grammar and Thomas Tallis took on the thorny issue of 'Assisted dying should be legalised' – proving, not for the first time, that sixth formers, armed with strong research and robust debating skills, can grapple with complex issues with nuance and strong conviction, often far better than some parliamentarians!
Video: Students discuss why debating matters and how DM at the House of Lords inspired them.
‘Debating matters because you get challenged on your own ideas and convictions about the world around you. That's what's important about moving forward as an individual, what are your convictions and beliefs, and how does that motivate you to act?’
Anthony Unugboke, student, Aylesbury Grammar School
The event was supported by the House of Lords Engagement team with members of the upper chamber – Lord Borwick, Baroness Vere of Norbiton and Lord Wood of Anfield – helping to judge the debates, alongside Dr Shahrar Ali, Dr Tiffany Jenkins, Dr Jim Panton and Jane Sandeman. Prizes were awarded by Baroness Fox of Buckley, Claire Fox. Schools, including guests from Verulam School, enjoyed debating over lunch in the Cholmondeley Room, overlooking the Thames and were taken on a tour of the House of Lords.
DM in the North West
Blackburn College provided the setting for our third championship of the term, with schools from across the region competing for the title of Debating Matters North West Champions 2025! With support from Kim Samuel and the Belonging Forum, the day brought together participants young and old provoking a fascinating intergenerational conversation, with one older guest asking students if the debate around using smartphones in the classroom was any different to when calculators were introduced when he was a lad!
It was hard to disagree with the chairs, judges and audience members who found it to be one of the most exhilarating DM experiences to date! The sense of competition was palpable between Blackburn College, Birkenhead High School, Loreto College, Oldham Schools (a team comprising students from Hulme Grammar and Crompton House), QEGS Blackburn and St Wilfrid’s School. The teams rose to the occasion and impressed the judges who came from a range of sectors including science, medicine, politics, media, engineering, arts and academia.
Alumni of Blackburn College – senior associate Natasha Ricioppo of Keystone Law and social policy expert Charlie Winstanley – judged at the competition. Charlie is also an alumnus of Debating Matters, having taken part in the competition in 2008. Back then, when Blackburn didn’t make the final, he turned up on his own and contributed from the audience, taking away the Best Individual prize of the tournament!
Being in the North West provided Living Freedom convenor, Alastair Donald, with a great opportunity to talk to Hilary Salt and Sebastian Moore for the SDP podcast ‘Take me home’, where he talked about why Debating Matters is a challenging but impressive project, as well as discussing the upcoming Living Freedom Summer School, which is open to all young people aged 18 to 25.
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Our new strand ‘DM Locals’ was off to a good start this year, too, with The Womble Bond Dickinson / Leeds Salon Years 10&11 Debating Competition 2025 taking place at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds earlier this month. In addition to the regional, national and international tournaments we organise, DM also offers partner support to schools and organisations who wish to host their own competitions locally. Visit DM Locals for more information.
DM in Berlin and Beyond Bars
Next stop is Berlin for the 10th Anniversary Berlin Debating Matters Championship, hosted in partnership with the University of Europe for Applied Sciences & Freiblickinstitut. The event will see 12 German schools competing for the coveted prize of DM Berlin champions.
Then we’re back to the UK for a new Beyond Bars project, taking our unique ‘substance over style’ debating into HMP Five Wells for a series of workshops and group-stage debates. The event will conclude with a finals day, including a Question Time-style event where prisoners will have the opportunity to hear from, and ask questions to, prominent guests from politics, the media, academia and more! Check out the podcast we made with former prisoner Jon Floyd, who credits Beyond Bars with giving him a purposeful activity, helping him change direction and kickstarting his journey of rehabilitation: Beyond Bars
We are grateful to all our judges, schools and partners who have supported debates this year, providing opportunities for young people to discuss important issues, at the top of the social and political agenda, to go beyond media soundbites and to equip themselves for adult citizenship where debating really does matter. If you would like to support our work, please visit SUPPORT DEBATING MATTERS or consider making a standing order each month to ensure the spirit of debate is kept alive and well among young people.
Our programme this year would not be possible without the kind support of:
