Debate Mate
At Stanhope, we are proud to provide children with the opportunity to learn debating skills through our links with an educational charity called 'Debate Mate'. For the third year, our pupils have been taught by university students who themselves have a wealth of debating experience.
Debating is the art of 'polite arguing.' In order to a successful debater, children are taught specific skills which include:
- Improve Speaking and Listening
- Develop leadership, teamwork and confidence skills
- Engage with the world beyond the classroom, addressing issues that affect us, our communities and the wider world
- Represent the school at Ealing and London wide debate competitions
Debate Mate is an educational charity that uses the brightest university students to run after-school debate clubs. The charity is active across the globe and in the last nine years, Debate Mate have successfully taught over 25,000 young people to debate. The charity has taught young people in countries such as: The UK, USA, Jamaica, Nepal, Dubai, Doha, Mexico, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, China, Japan, Korea and Israel.
Run by teachers and mentors
Debate Mate’s after-school clubs are ran by teachers and mentors from the top universities in the country. The mentors are skilled academics, who are passionate about providing disadvantaged young people the skills they need to become exceptional young leaders – confidence, interpersonal communication skills and higher order thinking. The clubs run for an hour and give children to debate and engage in a number of educational and fun games.
The children are given opportunities to practise these skills during our weekly club sessions which prepare them for the Primary Debate Mate League and the Debate Mate Cup competitions against other London schools.
The benefits of learning debating skills include leadership skills, greater confidence, communication and higher order thinking skills.
As a result of the Debate Mate programme, Stanhope teachers have integrated debating into their classrooms. Allowing pupils to develop their communication and English skills in a collaborative and engaging way, as well as educating them on modern day issues in the world around them.
