At the Taunton/South West England heat of the Great Debate the head judge, Marcus Paul (Deputy Head of Queens College, Taunton), gave some valuable tips on public speaking. If you are interested in public speaking or want to take part in our next Great Debate competition this podcast will prove...

Winner: Quinn Scott – Chesterton Community College, Cambridge  Runners up: Anya Bensouiah – Kendrick School, Reading Fred Bosley – The King’s School, Canterbury Aimee Nelson – Bablake School, Coventry  Finalists:  Emily Tweddle, Earlston High School, Scottish Borders  Hannah Brearton, Upton Hall, Oxford Rosie Thomson, The Maynard School, Exeter Isabella Passarelli, Torquay Girls Grammar School,...

The 2023 Great Debate final was held on 25 March at the Vicars' Hall, Windsor Castle. The question for young people to address was:  “Why does history matter to me?” Across the course of the day the judges and audience listened to talks on the personal experiences of finalists’ relatives in the...

The final was held at the Vicars' Hall at Windsor Castle on 23 March 2024 and attended by 22 finalists from across the UK. This year each finalist needed to have taken part in a regional competition and one of three semi-final stages.   The competition question for this year was:...

The final was held at the Vicar’s Hall at Windsor Castle on 29 March 2025, and attended by 20 finalists from across the UK. This year, each finalist needed to have taken part in a regional competition and one of three semi-final stages. The competition question for this year was: How...

Winner:  Emma Crow of Broxburn Academy, Broxburn, Scotland  Runners up:  Abigail Powers of The Ladies’ College, Guernsey  Erica Wright of William Farr School, Lincolnshire  Rachel McGarry of Shavington Academy, Crewe, Cheshire  Finalists Sofia Ntege, North Oxfordshire Academy, Banbury Harry Gray, Exeter School, Exeter Rhea Cherrington, Bablake School, Coventry Molly Grimshaw,...

In this short film from 2015 Heather Scott (former Deputy President of the HA and compere of our Great Debate Finals) & Martin Spafford (Judge from our London Heats) provide advice for prospective students who might want to take part in the Great Debate. Martin and Heather also explain what...

In this short film from 2015 Heather Scott (former Deputy President of the HA and compere of our Great Debate Finals) & Martin Spafford (Judge from our London Heats) introduce the Great Debate, talk about why students should get involved and discuss what they enjoy about the Great Debate.