Confidence, Oracy, and Leadership: Our UBS-Funded Debate Leaders Workshops in Action
Earlier this year, we announced the launch of our new UBS-supported programme aimed at helping disadvantaged schools across the UK build confidence, oracy, and leadership through small-group Debate Leaders Workshops.
We’re now well on our way to reaching 100 schools, and it’s been great to see the impact unfold in classrooms.
So we wanted to share how it’s going so far, and the brilliant feedback we’ve received from schools across the country!
What are the Debate Leaders Workshops?
These free, virtual workshops offer a fantastic opportunity to help young people - particularly those who might not usually speak up - build confidence, leadership, and public speaking skills. They’re designed to be simple to run, easy to access, and packed with value.
A reminder of what’s in store for schools:
✨ Three flexible dynamic virtual workshops where your students will sharpen their debating and public speaking skills, scheduled on Wednesdays/Thursdays whenever it suits the teacher's busy schedules.
📖 A comprehensive booklet to guide students’ learning, both in and outside the sessions.
💡 A special booklet for you, packed with strategies to develop these skills across your whole class.
🎯 Ongoing support from our team whenever you need it.
Why it matters?
This initiative focuses on reaching the students who need it most, helping 4–6 pupils per school gain the confidence and skills to lead class meetings and support others. These students often go on to lead discussions beyond their own class, helping embed a culture of peer-led confidence and inclusion throughout the school.
It’s part of our mission to make pupil voice truly inclusive and meaningful - especially in communities where access to these opportunities can be more limited.
And the feedback from schools has been nothing short of inspiring:.
“Thank you for a wonderful session. I think the children will get a lot from the course.”
– Kelly Jones, Riverside Primary School and Nursery, Hereford“We were so impressed with the session that I have passed on details of Smart School Councils to one of the heads in another school in our Trust.”
– Sarah Fransch, Castle Academy, Northampton
What we’re learning from schools
We’ve heard from many schools who are prioritising oracy in their strategic plans, and are using our workshops to build on that work in a really practical way.
Teachers are noticing:
Quieter students growing in confidence and beginning to speak more in class
Pupils using structured language to include and encourage their peers
Students pushing themselves to improve their writing and verbal reasoning
More opportunities for young people to express their opinions on real-world issues
These workshops don’t just build speaking skills - they help students feel heard, included, and valued. And when they’re given the tools to lead and support others, the results can be transformative.
Leadership in action
As part of the sessions, we teach students some simple but effective ways to include their classmates. One example is using set questions to invite others into the conversation - something that empowers both the leader and the listener.
These routines help create inclusive, respectful debates where every voice is valued, and that’s what we’re all about.
A huge thank you to all the schools who’ve taken part so far, and to UBS for making this programme possible.
If you’d like to get involved or find out more, contact Becky at becky@smartschoolcouncils.org.uk. We’d love to support your students to speak up and lead with confidence.