Core Programme

17-week programme, after-school clubs, national competitions. Including additional programmes: Accelerate, DM+, and the DM Graduate School.

How it works?

We recruit and train the best and brightest university students to be peer-peer mentors.

Mentors are placed in schools in disadvantaged areas to establish extra-curricular debate clubs.

Mentors use Debate Mate’s unique teaching resources to lead 14-weeks of after-school debate training.

The students then put their skills to the test in two of the largest debating competitions in the UK.

After-school clubs

17-week programme, after-school clubs, national competitions. Including additional programmes: Accelerate, Debate Mate+, and the DM Graduate School.

What?

Weekly hour-long sessions with trained university mentors, and two major national debating competitions.

Who?

Students of all abilities
from years 4 to 10.

Aims

  • Raise students' aspirations for both education and employment
  • Develop key employability skills such as leadership, teamwork, critical-thinking, and self-management
  • Accelerate attainment in Speaking and Listening
  • Strengthen emotional capacity through building confidence, self-esteem, empathy, and resilience

Case Study

Mount St Mary's joined the Leeds Debate Mate Programme in 2016. Since then, they have won their region's Debate Mate Cup, and debated in front of Bill Gates.

This school's story is a fantastic example of how the Debate Mate Programme can become a key component of the school's overall ethos.

Debate Mate Accelerate

What?

Weekly hour-long sessions with university mentors who have additional classroom and behavioural management training.

Who?

Students from years 4 to 10 with challenging behaviour who are disengaged with education.

Aims

  • Give disengaged students a disposition towards learning
  • Help students with their behaviour by building effective communication skills
  • Develop students’ confidence and desire to participate in classroom discussions

Debate Mate Plus

What?

Weekly hour-long sessions with trained university mentors, and entry to national competitions, plus a focus on careers, UCAS, and work experience opportunities.

Who?

Students from years 11 to 13 who would particularly benefit from debate coaching and careers / UCAS guidance.

Aims

  • Continue to develop key employability skills such as leadership, teamwork, critical-thinking, and self-management
  • Develop students’ confidence and ability in making informed decisions about their higher education and career options
  • Improve students understanding of current affairs, general knowledge, and ‘how stuff works’
  • Raise aspirations by exposing young people to inspirational organisations and individuals

Graduate School

If you are 15 years old or above, have participated on the Debate Mate Core Programme, and are interested in advanced debate coaching and social leadership projects, please take a look at our Graduate School in the Student Zone.

Learn More

Results

After a year of our Core Programme…

88%

of students said they are better able to respond to, and respectfully disagree with, the ideas of others

83%

said they feel more comfortable speaking up in class

82%

said they take a more active role in the school community, and the community in which they live

100%

said they enjoyed taking part in the Debate Mate sessions