Ainslie & Turner Inter-School Debating Day

On Friday 28 November, students from Ainslie School and Turner School came together for an Inter-School Debating Day hosted generously by Campbell High School—an event designed to extend the learning from earlier workshops delivered at each school.

Consensus ran introductory debating programs at each of the primary schools earlier in the year. A team of five Consensus tutors, led by our Executive Office, Julian Davies visited each school for a full-day workshop where their whole Year 5/6 cohort delved into learning about the importance of justifying ideas through reasonable proof. Throughout the workshops, intense learning sessions and mini-debates were alternated with lively thinking and speaking games. Preceding the workshop, Julian led both school’s Year 5 and 6 teachers in their own professional learning sessions to help prepare them for the day and how to conduct an ongoing program in their classrooms designed to extend the children’s learning and consolidate their skills.

And so, on Friday, around 20 students from each school arrived at Campbell High ready to put the skills they’ve been learning into practice in debates throughout the day. Led again by Julian Davies, and supported by four other Consensus tutors, the day began with a brief workshop to refresh key skills and build students’ confidence before they stepped into their debates. The day was structured to give every participant meaningful speaking time and the chance to collaborate with peers from the neighbouring school.

Students took part in two debates each across the day. Working in teams of four—with two students from each school on every team—they prepared and delivered ten debates in total. Tutors supported each group through preparation, provided guidance to strengthen arguments, and offered detailed feedback to help students reflect on their progress.

The atmosphere throughout the day was lively, supportive, and focused on improvement. Students’ confidence grew clearly from one debate to the next and it was evident that they were applying the skills developed in earlier workshops and becoming more assured, thoughtful speakers.

The Inter-School Debating Day marked a meaningful milestone for both schools—an opportunity not only to practise debating in a friendly, constructive environment, but also to celebrate the learning, collaboration, and confidence students had built across the term.