Debate Hub

SEND & Oracy

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0000

To celebrate the release of the oracy white paper, Kate & Michael discuss how Debate Hub's way of doing oracy endeavors to be inclusive for SEND students.

We ran a mooting competition!

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode Kate & Michael discuss two recent Debate Hub events: a large Oxford Union style show debate and our inaugural mooting competition. We discuss what worked, what we would change and how partner schools can replicate these events if they are interested in doing so.

You can find details of our upcoming competitions at https://debatehub.co.uk/all-events/

AI in Debating, Oracy and Education.

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

To celebrate our upcoming AI in Education show debate (link below) Kate and Michael sit down for a bumper episode to discuss AI in debating, speech writing and education more generally.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1976881650232?aff=oddtdtcreator

2025 Wrapped

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 03:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Kate and Michael reflect the last year in debating and look at some things we hope improve, some things we appreciate and our favourite motion set of 2025.

Voice 21 drop by

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 03:00:00 +0000

In this pod, Michael sits down with Amanda Moorghan, Director of Learning, Impact and Influence at Voice 21. Former colleagues who debated against each other many many years ago, Amanda and Michael discuss oracy research, the important of turn times, and whether debating deserves it's importance in the wider oracy conversation.

Discussed in pod: https://oracycambridge.org/group-work-never-say-goodbye/

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/dialogic-teaching

Do we hate Model United Nations?

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0100

In this episode Kate & Michael discuss MUN and the perceived hatred between debating and MUN.

If you want to take part in our competitions details can be found here: All Events - Debatehub

Are we scared of giving students a voice?

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0100

Schools often talk about empowering student voice, but do we really want to hear what they have to say? Kate and Michael discuss.

Sixth formers discuss running their Year 5 debate clubs

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0100

Every year, several of our sixth formers run clubs and teach lessons in local state primaries. In this episode Michael talks with two of his students who were teaching debating last year, what they learned, what they loved and what were the challenges.

The 7 baby steps to becoming an amazing oracy school

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0100

Inspired by Dave Ramsey, Kate and Michael discuss the seven steps to making your school a thriving hub of oracy.

Oxbridge Interviews- A how to (Re-issue)

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0100

Kate obtained a congratulatory first, a masters and a PhD at Oxford. During her time as a postgrad she was an interviewer for her college. In this episode, Michael picks her brain about Oxbridge interviews, how debating can help and some of the biggest mistakes students make with interviews.

Kate also runs our 'Oxbridge Hub' which is a partnership programme offering support and practice interviews for students looking to pursue Oxbridge, Medical or Veterinary degrees. If you are interested, contact us via the debatehub.co.uk website.

Framing

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Michael & Kate discuss 'framing' which can also be thought of as 'context setting'.

Opening Lines

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Kate & Michael discuss opening lines. First looking at great opening lines in literature, we then discuss how to have a great opening line for public speaking and how to use opening lines in competitive debating.

Points of Information

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 16:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Kate & Michael discuss POIs, the short interjections that you are allowed to offer in almost all forms of debating. How to give them, take them, their importance and their applications in real life.

Rebuttal

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 16:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Michael & Kate dive deep on responding to and defeating arguments in competitive debating.

To attend our debating summer camp for ages 12-16 click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/south-hampstead-debate-academy-summer-camp-age-12-to-16-tickets-1394411475259?aff=oddtdtcreator

To attend our debating summer camp for ages 9-11 click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/manage/events/1394114015549/details

Impacting & Weighing

Fri, 09 May 2025 11:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Kate & Michael discuss the importance of 'why important' - more commonly called impacting. We also look at 'why more important' and 'why most important' commonly called weighing.

Adolescence- How to discuss in schools with Laura Coryton

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 15:00:00 +0100

In a special episode, Michael sits down with Laura Coryton MBE to discuss how schools can have productive conversations around the themes raised in the smash hit show Adolescence. Laura is the founder and director of the relationships and sex ed social enterprise 'Sex Ed Matters', the author of 'Speak Up!' and a prominent activist and campaigner.

Referenced in this podcast:

Sex Ed Matters | bringing sex education to the 21st century

Laura Bates: Men who hate women
Bell Hooks: All About Love

Analysis

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 15:00:00 +0000

In the second episode of season 2 Kate & Michael discuss how to properly 'analyse' (explain/justify) points to make compelling and persuasive arguments. We cover chains, chunking, characterisation, analogy, intuition pumps and micro comparisons.

Coming Up With Points

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +0000

In this first episode of season 2, Kate & Michael discuss the tips and tricks of coming up with arguments, the most fundamentals and important skill in debating. Season 2 will focus on a different skill each episode.

Goal setting for competitive debaters

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In our first episode of 2025, Kate & Michael decided to talk about goal setting! How to set goals as a debaters that actually help you improve, how to know if you are being realistic. What to focus on to improve, and more!

2024 Wrapped Part 2- Favourite Motions

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In part two of our recap of 2024, Kate & Michael discuss some of our favourite motions we have seen and set, what we like about them and what they can tell us about what makes a good motion.

2024 Wrapped Part 1- What we learned and highlights

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:00:00 +0000

In this episode Kate & Michael discuss a year in debating. We cover some of the things we have learned over the past 12 months and some of the highlights of 2024. Mentioned in this episode are several resources including our Games Packs and cases for our Ethics Championship which are titled 'A little bit of Ethics'. All these resources can be found at www.DebateHub.co.uk.

Debate Partners- A how to

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This is a reissue of an earlier episode featuring two of our very successful sixth form debaters discussing how to succeed with a variety of partners, how important long term debate partnerships are and how to adapt to partners.

What makes a good schools debating competition?

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 10:00:00 +0000

In this episode- originally an unplanned 'emergency pod' Kate & Michael discuss all the new competitions cropping up on the circuit, the move to more schools running their own competitions and what makes a competition successful.

'I've judged over 200 finals'

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 03:00:00 +0000

In this episode Michael chats to Craig McDonald, one of the most experienced debate judges on the planet about all things judging.

How to smash an Oxbridge interview (re-issue)

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 19:00:00 +0100

This is a re-issue of episode 19 in which Kate (who holds a first class undergrad and a PhD from Oxford and heads up South Hampstead's Oxbridge programme) discusses with Michael how Oxbridge applications work, how to do well in interviews, and how debating can help.

Sitting down with team England

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 03:00:00 +0100

In this episode Michael sits down for a conversation with three of the team England debaters who took part in the 2024 world championships in Serbia. We discuss their experiences at the tournament and what it takes to speak for your country.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: Speaker Series

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 03:00:00 +0100

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe spent over 5 years in an Iranian jail having committed no crime. In this special Speaker Series, Nazanin sits down with Anna Paul and a live audience and discusses the experience, what Boris Johnson said to her after she returned, and the women she met during her imprisonment.

Alexa, will you marry me?

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 03:00:00 +0100

This is a speech given at South Hampstead High School in 2024 by a year 11 student to an audience of roughly 1000. It has great examples of humour, repetition and juxtaposition of tone.

The principles of a running a great debate club part two (Re-issue)

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0100

For motions, resources and competitions, check out www.debatehub.co.uk

The principles of a running a great debate club (Re-issue)

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 03:00:00 +0100

With the new academic year fast approaching, we are re-publishing one of our most popular episodes. In the first half, Kate and Michael discuss some of the key principles to running a successful debate club. Remember our website debatehub.co.uk is jam packed with lesson plans, debate topics and instructional videos to help your club thrive!

The Global Issues Oracy Project

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 05:00:00 +0100

Michael sits down with Zoe Brass to discuss the global issues oracy project ran recently at South Hampstead High School.

Year 12s coaching year 5s

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 03:00:00 +0100

In this episode, two of our year 12s discuss their experience of running debate clubs for year 5s in some of our local state schools.

Public Speaking Competitions- Part 2

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0100

In part two of our bumper long episode about public speaking competitions, Michael & Kate discuss the importance of the 'compere' role and all the skills it brings, as well as why we let students have complete free reign on topic choice.

Public Speaking Competitions- Part 1

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0100

In the first half of this bumper episode, Michael & Kate discuss the format Debate Hub uses for our public speaking competitions, the reasons we designed it this way and how schools can replicate either our model or the principles behind it.

The Oracy Conference

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +0100

The South Hampstead Oracy conference takes place July 6th 2024. In this episode, Michael and Kate give a brief overview of what the conference is, who it's aimed at and why you should attend.

State Schools & Team England

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0100

In this episode we sit down with Cesca Reynolds, who runs the 'development squads' wing of England's national debate team, as well as her own organisation 'Impart.' Development squads is designed to help more state school students trial and speak for the England team. You can apply here: - https://forms.gle/ZURg2py7m4SiKxGw5

Cesca can be contacted on cesca@nationaldebateteam.org.uk for development squads questions or info@impartuk.com for questions about her organisation. More info on impart can be found here: Impart UK | Empowering and Educating

Primary Head & Author, Zoe Paramour

Mon, 20 May 2024 04:00:00 +0100

Zoe Paramour is the author of 3 education books: The Writing Book, The Grammar Book & How to be an Outstanding Primary Middle Leader. She has also been instrumental in the debating programme at South Hampstead Junior School and has a lot of thoughts on primary school oracy.

Oxbridge Interviews

Mon, 06 May 2024 00:00:00 +0100

An in-depth discussion about the Oxbridge application process: admissions tests, what they really want to read in your personal statement and the dreaded interviews. How can debating help students prepare and what else can teachers and students do to maximise their chances of admission?

The principles of a great debate club- part 2

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 02:00:00 +0100

Part 2 of our bumper length discussion about the most important aspects of running a great debate club

The principles of a great debate club- part 1

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0100

In part 1 of this bumper episode, Kate and Michael discuss the principles that are key to success in a debate club and how to practically implement them in your club.

Rapid Improvement in year 10

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 02:00:00 +0100

In this episode Michael and Kate talk to two year 11 students who both improved hugely during their year 10 and are now reaping the rewards as they break and win at seniors competitions.

Physics, Classics, English & Econ discuss how to use debate in the classroom

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 03:00:00 +0000

In this week's episode Michael is joined not only by Kate but two of our colleagues from Physics and Classics, to discuss how to use debates and other oracy activities to enhance teaching, even if you don't have a debate background as a teacher.

An enormous oracy opportunity that most schools waste

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Michael and Kate discuss the incredible power of good assembies (and the horror of bad ones) and how you can change your school culture so that every assembly is interesting, inspiring and purposeful.

An ECT on becoming head of debating

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 02:00:00 +0000

Today we sit down with Elisa from Oxford High School who did no debating in her own education but became head of debating at a top school in her second year of teaching. How has she found it and how has she succeeded?

Team pairings for competitive success

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Following on from our discussion of selecting students for competitions, this week Kate and Michael discuss how to pair students to compete. Just like team selection in football, team pairings for BP competitions are complex and multi-faceted. We discuss our process when we have to select teams for competitions, how often we vary pairings, pro ams and more!

How to select the right students for every competition

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In this episode Kate and Michael discuss when students are ready to compete, how to gauge that, which competitions to enter them for, and who to pick when competitions are oversubscribed. (Unfortunately, it's not as easy as 'the best people.')

How to final and win with a variety of partners

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Today Kate and Michael sit down with two of our students who have made multiple finals with a a variety of partners rather than the same person each time. We discuss being a good partner, how to pro-am, the importance of teamwork in debating and the benefits of speaking with a variety of people vs having a steady partner.

A state school discusses their incredible new debating programme

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In this episode Michael sits down with Amy and Beth from Castle Mead Academy in Leicester, a state school who started their debating programme a little over a year ago and who are doing a wonderful job.

Framing and Club Culture- Oxbridge Alums Part 2

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This is part two of our discussion with Jane and Nadia which was episode 4 'Oxbridge Alum.' In this short segment they discuss the usefulness of framing and the importance of a good club culture.

EMERGENCY POD- More Competitions in 2024!

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Kate and Michael have hit the emergency pod button because there are a lot of new 'emerging' competitions- hosted predominantly by schools- and we wanted to discuss this change and our hopes for the competition circuit.

Debating, but not TOO seriously

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In this epiosde, we sit down with two of our alumni, Megan and Sonja who are now studying at Cambridge and LSE. Megan and Sonja started debating in year 12 and were a nice balance of hard working, but not obsessed. They discuss their experience.

Is BP the best debating format- a deep dive

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This is bumper length episode where Kate and Michael take a very deep dive into the Britsh Parliamentary debating format. Probably the most wildly used format globally, and the format used the world and european university championships, BP is a common format in UK schools debating- but is it the right one for your school and students?

Oxbridge alums discuss high school debating

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode we speak to two of our debate alumni who have gone on to study at Oxbridge. Do they feel debating helped them, if so how? What advice would they give the next generation?

How this English teacher became a top debating coach

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 08:00:00 +0100

Today we talk to Kate Etheridge who was an English teacher with no competitive debating experience who learned on the job to become her school's consultant teacher for oracy and an outstanding competitive coach.

You've won HOW many competitions?

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 16:00:00 +0100

In this episode we interview two of our most successful competitive debaters at the end of their juniors careers. We ask why they do it, advice they have for other debaters and what they would do differently.

Why this headmistress invested in debating

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 15:00:00 +0100

This first interview is with Vicky Bingham, the South Hampstead Headmistress who oversaw our oracy revolution. She discusses why she values oracy so highly and how to create a successful culture of discussion and debate.