About Debating For Everyone
About Julian Bell
If you would like to know more about how Debating For Everyone can offer you support with debating and public speaking, please email Julian Bell on debatingforeveryone@gmail.com.
Julian
Bell has been an English teacher for 35 years, and since 2000 has been
Head of
English and Debating at Godolphin and Latymer School in London. When he
arrived,
Godolphin and Latymer had no debating provision whatsoever, but it is
now
described as a ‘flagship debating school’. As well as running the
school’s
internal debating programme, which currently involves nearly one in five
of all students, he is also founder and leader of three competitions:
the London Junior Debating League (for Years 7-8),
involving 24 schools across London, 50% of them from the maintained
sector, the London
Middle School Debating Competition (for Years 9-11) and the London Sixth
Form Debating Competition, for Years 12-13, which attract similar
numbers of schools.
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!
Contact
Julian is Debate Curriculum Lead for Elite Journey,
a company employing over 350 teachers to teach over 29,000 students in
10 countries round the world. He oversees development of their debate
curriculum and the training of their debate teachers. Julian also works as an oracy trainer for the English Speaking Union and as a judge for the PIXL Up for Debate competition.
In November 2018, Julian gave pro bono training to students at Sacred Heart High School in Hammersmith and Fulham Boys School. In March 2019 , he helped run a London debating tour for students at Hackley School in New York. Godolphin and Latymer School granted him a period of sabbatical leave in June and July 2019 to work on debating projects. During this time, he offered pro bono outreach training to Holy Family School in Walthamstow, Redden Court School in Romford, Fitzwimarc School in Essex, Sir John Leman School in Suffolk, Brittons Academy in Havering and Orleans Park School in Twickenham. He also set up new debating programmes at Haberdashers Aske's Boys' Prep in Elstree and the German School in Ham, as well as establishing partnerships with two charities: Debating Mental Health and Youth Politics.
Julian
has adapted to the Covid crisis by moving his debating offer online. Since March 2020, he has run
online versions of his competitions, involving schools from the UK, the USA and Spain. He has also run online
training courses for students at Sarum Hall School in London, and Oak House School
in Barcelona, as well as private courses online for small groups of
students.
Julian is the author of The Debating Book: everything you ever need to know about debating, a how to guide for secondary school student debaters and their teachers, available from Amazon.
What Debating For Everyone can offer
- Debating
training for students. All levels and ages catered for, from an
introduction to the basic skills to more advanced and challenging
training. Can be offered as a one day workshop, or as part of a more extended training programme over the whole school year.
- Setting up and running internal debating competitions either within schools or involving several schools.
- Training in public speaking skills for students or adults, either individually or in groups.
- CPD for staff leading debating, showing them how to set up and run a debating club and establish a debating culture in their school.
- Whole staff CPD on how to use debating within the curriculum.
- Whole staff CPD on oracy within the curriculum.
What customers say about Debating For Everyone
With more than 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.
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
I
absolutely loved doing [an online interview] and I honestly put that
down to you and just dispelling all of the mystery and fears around
public speaking.
Orlanda Bryars, Director at Sonar Arts
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
If you would like to know more about how Debating For Everyone can offer you support with debating and public speaking, please email Julian Bell on debatingforeveryone@gmail.com.
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