Welcome to Debate Mate Online!

Margaret McCabe,
Founder, Debate Mate

We’re thrilled to bring our tried and tested methodology to millions around the world through Debate Mate Online.

Now, more than ever, it’s essential that we are providing young people with the core knowledge and skills to succeed in the face of automation and a changing future of work. We need to be able to equip young people with the skills necessary not just to survive, but to thrive, in the workplace. Debate Mate is proven to do just that.

Over the past 10 years our programme has produced phenomenal results, working with over 60,000 students in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Our Story

October 2008
Debate Mate launches in London
October 2010
Debate Mate launches a curriculum product in London schools teaching core subjects through debating
May 2011
Debate Mate mentioned in Ofsted's Excellence in English report
June 2012
Debate Mate pilots teacher training programme in partnership with Local Education Authorities in the UK
September 2013
The UK's Department for Education awards Debate Mate a grant to expand our UK programmes and approves us to open a Free-School in London
January 2014
Debate Mate launches Debate Mate Ltd, a social enterprise to provide corporate communication and leadership training to businesses in the UK and internationally
May 2015
Debate Mate partners with the Office of the Prime Minister, Number 10 Downing Street, to develop Downing Street Debates
April 2016
Debate Mate, Comic Relief and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation partner to deliver ‘The Big Debate’
September 2017
Debate Mate partners with the Institute of Education to develop Debate Mate Online
December 2017
Debate Mate Online is founded

Debate Mate In Numbers

60,000
young
people
20
countries
1,500
trained
teachers
50,000
trained
professionals
10
years
in the field

What People Say About Us

Meet the Team

Scarlett
CEO
Scarlett is the CEO of Debate Mate Online and left a career in Corporate Law to set up our Jamaica programme before founding Debate Mate Online.
Margaret
Founder & Chair
Margaret has over twenty years’ experience as a commercial barrister combined with two decades in the voluntary sector including Centre Point and the NSPCC Justice for Children programme.
Cindy
Education Team
Cindy joined Debate Mate 4 years ago after she graduated with a MA from London School of Economics. She now runs our Jamaica programme.
Jess
Education Team
Jess is a former English & History Teacher and Literacy Lead. She has been involved with Debate Mate for 8 years and is Executive Director of Debate Mate Schools.
Seun
Director of Education
Seun has been working for Debate Mate for over 8 years and is a former mentor and competitive debater. She leads our International Education Strategy
Enayah
Education Team
Enayah is has over 10 years experience in the classroom as a former Deputy Head of English. She now heads up our in-school programmes in the UK.
Mia
Education Team
Mia is former Vice-President of the Oxford Union, where she studied for her undergraduate degree. She participated in the programme at school in East London.
Joe
Education Team
Joe has been teaching on the Debate Mate programme for 5 years both in schools in the UK and Internationally. He currently oversees our Accelerate programme which teaches debating to students at risk of exclusion.
Ade
Debate Mate Mentor
Ade is a former Debate Mate student and champion debater, having been the president of the Nottingham University Debate Society.
Professor Rose Luckin
Advisor
Professor of Learner Centred Design at UCL Institute of Education.
Peter Klauber
Advisor
Global Treasurer at World ORT. Former Partner at EY.
Sir Michael Wilshaw
Advisor
Former Chief Inspect, OFSTED.
Sir Paul Grant
Advisor
Former Headteacher, Robert Clack School. Education Consultant.
Tom Gutteridge
Advisor
Co-Founder of Krunch.ai
Brian Gray
Advisor
Former Partner at Linklaters and Freshfields law firms. Legal and Fintech adviser.

Partners

Debate Mate already works with some of the most impressive schools in the world.