Here's what students, teachers, parents and adult clients have to say about what Debating For Everyone has to offer.
I am so impressed with how the pupils who do debating conduct themselves - so composed and articulate at such a young age.
Mandy Fawcett, Deputy Head, Old Vicarage School, Richmond-upon-Thames
A BIG THANK YOU for all your support and wisdom for my daughter, she has really loved her sessions with you.
Parent of private student in Y11
Julian Bell gave a brilliant training session where staff were able to learn a range of strategies for formal and informal debates. I'm certain it will have a really positive impact on our students and the quality of teaching and learning. Not only that but it was extremely fun; our Deputy Head delivering an impassioned speech to be president of Ma Ma Moo Land was particularly memorable.
Emma Ovey, KS2 lead, Harry Gosling Primary School
I have learned so many things from you over the past weeks. It was a little scary at times because intimidation is the "nature of the beast" when it comes to public speaking, but I found the overall experience to be a pleasure and one of the most valuable learning experiences in the history of my education.
Lauren, trainee lawyer, North Carolina, USA
You trained the Highgate students so well. The competition was a gruelling day, but they all rose to the challenge of thinking on their feet, maintaining their poise and making their points eloquently and deftly. It was noticeable that while some students approached the debates as a form of combat, the Highgate students adopted a very nuanced style of making links with the opposition and narrowing the differences, which enabled them to make very sophisticated arguments which were designed to disarm their opponents, rather than relying simply on polarities.
I think I can speak on behalf of other parents who were present in saying that we were incredibly proud and incredibly grateful for how well you have prepared them.
Parent of Y9 student, Highgate School, London
Thank you very much again for hosting the online competition. The students really enjoyed it and were very positive about the experience the day after. It was a great opportunity for them and you ran the competition very smoothly.
Mary Murray Brown, English Teacher and Oracy Coordinator, Oak House School, Barcelona, Spain
Debating For Everyone is a valued part of the Glendower community, and we really enjoy what you bring to the girls' experience here.
Amelia Sinclair, Head of External Communications and Operations, Glendower Prep School. London
Our Year 7 students did tremendously well in the Rotary 'Youth Speaks' competition, coming second behind a sixth form team, no doubt in part due to the confidence and skills they gained from your training course.
Karen Ridley, Lingfield College
I was delighted to see how the weekly debating club has improved students' skill at building arguments. They are very excited about it, and more children are wanting to join!
Y6 teacher, Deer Park School, Twickenham
Julian Bell delivered bespoke training for our organisation's unique context (ie. an internet based crypto-currency firm) and has contributed to our quality of discourse and the way we seek consensus. For consensus-based organisations I cannot recommend his training enough!
Denis Yilmaz, Maker Dao
My daughter's teachers are very complimentary on her confidence level and speaking out. We all agreed being in the debating club has helped her a great deal. She is also very articulate at home when she wants to get her point across; we have debates instead of arguments!
Parent of Y5 student, Glendower Prep School, London
Julian Bell's coaching in the methods of debate, his learned approach and the encyclopaedic knowledge he possesses will help any teacher incorporate debate into just about any classroom work, unit plan, lesson, or even casual conversation with students.
Mark Feltskog, High School for Public Service, Brooklyn, USA
My daughter has developed a real passion for debating and enjoys practising her debating skills on her parents!
Parent of Y5 student, Glendower Prep School, London
The girls absolutely loved the session, and when I asked them to bring their debating books with them to English today, they were very excited and hoped that we were going to continue further debate in today's lesson. So I think the workshop can be deemed a huge success.
Head of English, Sarum Hall Prep School, London
All the kids enjoy your sessions and the rigour with which you run them. All the parents are impressed by the level of feedback. Yours is the best run club my son has participated in to date.
Parent of Y8 student, Highgate School, London
[Mr Bell runs] a wonderful club, and has inspired a lot of confidence in my daughter and made her think more carefully about current affairs .
Parent of Y5 student, Glendower Prep School, London
Julian Bell is a highly effective and experienced debate educator who works equally well with students and teachers alike. Mr. Bell worked as a facilitator and mentor in the Debate Centered Instruction Summer Institute offered in 2020, presenting methods incorporating debate strategies into literature classrooms and also serving as a mentor for teachers new to debate throughout the United States. I've also had the opportunity to work with Mr. Bell through his blog and other debate writing projects and can attest to his expertise, enthusiasm, and creativity approaching a range of debate-related activities, workshops, seminars, and competitions.
Steve Fitzpatrick, Hackley School, New York, USA
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
It was an amazing experience and I'd love to do it again.
Year 6 student, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys Prep School Elstree
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
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
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
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 School, Kingston-upon-Thames
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, Spain
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
