Junior School Resources
Debating is one of the best activities you can do in your primary school. Students love it; they learn a huge array of skills and, most importantly, they learn to enjoy expressing their ideas with confidence and listening to other points of view.

Junior School
Ethical Dilemmas Expansion Pack
This pack features ten ‘ethical dilemmas’ inspired by the St Andrews University ‘Ethics Cup.’ Featuring issues that should be relatable to nine, ten and eleven year olds, the issues come with prompt questions to help foster discussion. Three of these cases were used in our philosophy themed year 5 competition in summer 2024.
Junior School
The Primary School Debating Course: A Guide
An overview of our year long primary school debating course and how to use all the resources to best effect
Junior School
An example course structure
This is a suggested way to structure two terms of weekly debate lessons in your primary school, using our resources.
Junior School
Games Pack One- Quick and Easy
Junior School
Games Pack Two- More Challenging Games
Junior School
Line Debates
Junior School
Citizens’ Assembly
A great debate format for working on stakeholder analysis with easy tie in to regular subjects
Junior School
Citizens’ Assembly Expansion Pack
Detailed examples for doing citizens’ assemblies in your class
Junior School
Dragons Den
A great game/scaffolded debate
Junior School
How to run competition style debates
Our junior school debate competitions are run in the ‘South Hampstead’ format which is much simplified version of the world championship format. It is our recommendation that year 5 and 6s work towards practicing full debates in this format.
Junior School
0- Introductory Session
Junior School
1- Argument Structure
The first of 8 skill lessons
Junior School
2- Points & Prioritisation
How to come up with points when stuck, and which arguments to prioritise.
Junior School
3- Chunking
The first technique we teach to get students EXPLAINING their points
Junior School
4- Steps to Victory
The junior school version of chains of analysis, a hugely important life, debate and essay skill
Junior School
5- Analogies
A great persuasion tool!
Junior School
6- Points of information
A key part of making debates more dynamic and interactive, but can lead to chaos if we are not careful!
Junior School
7- Summary Speeches
In most debating formats, the final speaker on each side of the table is called the summary, whip or reply speaker, and must give an evaluative speech rather than presenting new arguments.
Junior School
8- A little bit of rhetoric
Three speeches to watch and discuss with your students
Junior School
A little bit of ethics
Some moral dilemmas to prompt class discussion and debate that are not so rigidly for and against.