What schools say about Debating For Everyone

It is a great pleasure to get out and about offering training to students in a wide variety of schools across the UK and (online) the world. Thank you to those quoted below who have taken the time to give some feedback on what Debating For Everyone can offer:

With nearly twenty years of debating experience, an unrivalled network of contacts, and a track record of setting up and running many successful and growing competitions, there is nothing that Julian Bell doesn’t know about school debating. Thorough, helpful and inspiring, he ensured our debating programme got off to a flying start, and was constantly available to support us thereafter. Highly recommended!

David Paton, Radnor House, Sevenoaks

We couldn't recommend Mr Bell's workshops enough. He ran two three hour virtual sessions with nearly seventy students at Oak House School in Barcelona, and with great results. The group was a mix of ages, ability and debating experience, yet Julian created a programme which worked for everyone. The students were engaged from start to finish in the activities: an excellent mix of fun, stimulating tasks, and precise, useful feedback. With the virtual context, we had some teachers assisting with group work and feedback, but Julian organised and led all the sessions masterfully. His advice and messages to the students did not lose their clarity and impact. He also took care to consult us carefully on our expectations and objectives for the session, and matched his pace and range of skills and content covered to exactly what we wanted. It was the perfect way to kick-start the year's debating programme.

 

 Mary Murray Brown English Teacher and Oracy Coordinator, Oak House School, Barcelona.

 

My school arranged for Mr Bell to come in to teach our teachers about British Parliamentary style debating and how to judge it so that we can host fixtures of our own and set up our own inter-house debating competition. The session was very informative and useful, providing the teachers with the resources and tools necessary to understand BP debating and judge it to a high standard. Thank you very much!

Joseph Niblett, Tiffin Boys School, Kingston-upon-Thames

My son definitely enjoyed it and felt he got a lot out of it. He’s been debating quite a bit at school, but without really having had much guidance on how, so he felt he’d really benefited from your very high level of expertise

Parent of participant in online debating course.

We were given great tips on debating by Mr Bell. I had a wonderful time.

Year 5 student, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys Prep School, Elstree

It was an amazing experience and I’d love to do it again.  

Year 6 student, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys Prep School Elstree

The children were positively buzzing from the experience, and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to engage in intellectual sparring.

Russell Bloch, Haberdasher's Aske's Boys' Prep School, Elstree

Julian Bell from 'Debating for Everyone' delivered an exceptional workshop to our year 8 students. The sessions were an hour long each where our students learnt how to make compelling arguments and develop their oracy and literacy skills. In the final session six of our students debated in front of their peers and it was brilliant to see their learning put into practice. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day by both staff and students. Thank you Julian!

Nancy Bowler-Ettman, Redden Court School, Havering

It was great having Julian come into school to work closely with our debaters. His workshop really helped to stretch the team to think about motions and how to develop arguments around them. He was able to push debaters that have some experience, but need to get to the next level. 

Alex Lippa, Holy Family Catholic School, Walthamstow

The students learnt a lot and found the motions and topics debated and discussed interesting and challenging. The advice Julian gave on how to develop the Debate Club was practical and achievable.The workshop was very useful and enjoyable for the students. 

Tabitha Buckley, Sir John Leman High School, Beccles

Students interacted with each other about a range of topical issues, competed with each other but in a friendly, fun and civilised environment and got to know other students, in other year groups, who share a similar love of debating. Through engaging activities, students were taught how they can improve their expression and delivery, how to prioritize and fully explain points and how to identify what type of debate a motion might be and the best way to approach that kind of argument.

Sam Knight, Orleans Park School, Twickenham

Very fun and intense workshop.  Learnt a lot and can't wait to continue debating next year! 

The workshop constituted some of my favourite school days of the year! 

I learned a lot of new, useful, debating skills, for example, PEEL, sign-posting and rebuttal.  

Students at The London German School

On the first day, our students were introduced to the key skills needed for debates, which they then practiced in a variety of fun activities.  On the second day, teams of pupils competed in a series of debates about varied and engaging topics. Mr Bell's feedback after each debate was very instructive, allowing the students to improve greatly over the course of the day.  At the end of the course, they were all enthusiastic and eager to do more debating at our school next year. 

Amy Zondermann, The London German School

Amazing workshop! It catered for everyone, from those who hadn’t debated before to those who had been in competitions. Interesting and topical motions which made the day engaging and very interactive. The advice which Mr Julian Bell gave will really help me in the future; in the club and in  competitions. Thank you Mr Julian Bell!

Student at  Fitzwimarc School, Rayleigh