Competitive and social debating are offered throughout the year to girls in Years 4–12. Our Debating program is run by Masters Academy, which is a professional company that specialises in Debating in schools. They provide highly qualified and trained staff along with online resources for the girls enrolled in the program.
Debating is an important skill for students to learn:
Ascham Senior School competes in the Independent Schools’ Debating Association (ISDA) and the IGSA Archdale competitions.
ISDA runs in Terms 1 and 2 on Friday evenings. Students are expected to attend all HOME and AWAY debates. If a student is not debating with her team, she may be required to be a timekeeper and/or chairperson for the debate. Transport to the venue will be provided for the away debates, but transport home must be provided by the parents.
Archdale runs in Terms 2 and 3 on Tuesday evenings. Students are expected to attend all HOME and AWAY debates. If a student is not debating with her team, she may be required to be timekeeper and/or chairperson for the debate. Transport to the venue will be provided for the away debates, but transport home must be provided by the parents.
Social Debating classes are held on Monday afternoons from 4 – 5pm. The training is run by Masters Academy, who have provided over ten years of quality debating training to schools in Sydney and the NSW region. The training runs on a three-week rotation of theory, practical, and a round-robin debate.
This program is designed to build the students’ debating knowledge and experience while keeping them engaged with varied and relevant topics.
Social and competition debating is offered to Fiona girls throughout the year.
Years 4–6: Social Debating
Years 5–6: Competitive debating – ISDA and IPSHA (by invitation only)
Does Ascham take part in any debating competitions?
Ascham Senior School competes in the Independent Schools’ Debating Association (ISDA) competition which takes place in Term 1 and 2, and the IGSA Archdale Debating competition, which takes place in Term 2 and 3.
What happens if my daughter trials for competitive debating but doesn’t get a place on a team?
Students who are not selected for competitive teams are offered a place in our social debating classes, which run on Monday afternoons from 4-5pm. These classes are conducted by expert debating coaches from Masters Academy, who teach the students how to identify strong arguments and structure their case in a debate. The classes run on a three-week rotation of theory, practical, and a round robin debate.
How are the students selected for teams?
Trials are held before each season for both the ISDA and Archdale competitions. The students are assessed on their matter, method, and manner. Matter refers to the content of their speech; whether they have identified appropriate arguments and examples for the topic. Method refers to the structure of their speech and how well they can explain the logic of their points. Manner refers to their presentation, including their posture and their voice.
How many girls are selected for each team?
Generally, each team has five or six students, it can change depending on the team and the competition.
How many teams are there for each competition?
In ISDA, there is a Year 7, 8, 9, and 10 team, as well as Senior A and Senior B divisions designed for Year 11 and 12. In Archdale, there are two teams for Year 7 (A and B), two for Year 8 (A and B), and two for Year 9 (Juniors and Year 9), as well as a Year 10 team, and a Seniors team, usually for Year 11 students.
If my daughter is selected for a team, does she need to attend every debate?
Yes, all students on a team must attend every debate in the competition, even if they are not rostered on to debate. It is important for them to watch, even if they are not debating, and to attend the training session with their coach. If a student has another commitment and cannot attend a debate round, they must let the Coordinator of Debating know as soon as possible.
How do girls travel to “Away” debates?
When there is an away debate, the students travel together on a bus to the venue. Students must arrange their own transport home from the venue.
How do I enrol my daughter?
If you would like to enrol your daughter for debating, the form can be found by clicking ‘Senior School Registration’ on this page.