The Auckland Debating Academy

Premier debating coaching for Auckland school students.

The Academy

Our core product, offering the chance to transform your debating ability across twelve classes over the course of the year, as part of a group of six motivated, like-minded students. Coached by New Zealanders top debaters, covering every facet of debating.

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Primary/Intermediate Debating

We run primary (years 5-6) and intermediate (years 7-8) debating competitions, to provide those with limited or no experience the opportunity to grow as debaters from an earlier age. Includes a ‘How to Debate’ seminar and extensive feedback throughout.

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Private Coaching

We offer private classes on request. Ranging from one to six students, these can be one-off or ongoing and will provide an opportunity to develop debating, public speaking, conversational, and interview skills, as well as general confidence and understanding of current events.

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Premier Coaching
The Debating Academy provides the opportunity to be coached by some of New Zealand’s top university debaters. Your child will be coached by debaters who have spent many years in the school and university debating system, with success at both the national and international level (including the World Championships). This means students receive practical feedback from relatable coaches.

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Sustained Development
Students experience ongoing development over the entire school year. Our format means that advice given in one class can be reinforced and implemented in the next, providing for true improvement. This gives students the opportunity to build on existing strengths and focus on overcoming weaknesses over a sustained period of time.

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The Perfect Environment
The Debating Academy is an environment where young debaters are placed alongside and against those who are at the same level as them, and who are similarly motivated to improve. This means debaters flourish, able to bounce ideas off their peers and enjoy a competitive edge they might not otherwise find in regular debating teams.

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Why debate?

Improving your debating ability yields results in more areas than you might imagine:

Academic Success

Being able to quickly organise thoughts into a coherent sequence of points or arguments is crucial to secondary school success in subjects such as English, social studies, economics, history and geography. Those who become proficient in debating almost invariably excel in these subjects throughout high school, and beyond into similar areas of study at university.

Public Speaking Ability

The ability to speak with confidence and conviction that debating develops is empowering in a surprising number of contexts for students. Whether it’s amongst peers, in public speaking competitions, job interviews, school leadership roles, or extra-curricular pursuits, debaters regularly impress their contemporaries with their clarity and presence when speaking.

Networks

Debating creates a flourishing network of like-minded students. Immersed in a network of peers with a passion for current events, forming opinions, and developing their beliefs, ADA students will quickly discover friends that motivate and support them right throughout high school and into university.

Holistic Learning
Debating teaches you about current events and contentious world issues in an engaging and meaningful way. And it fosters a desire to learn about similar issues outside of just the debating sphere.
Confidence
Grow the confidence with which you articulate your views – whether it’s socially, in the class room, or in a leadership context.
Thinking Skills
Debating teaches you to think in strategic and critical ways, and you quickly learn that for most issues there are many legitimate stances to take.
Enjoyment
While an academic activity, debating is also an incredibly fun one! The ability to constantly improve in a team environment, and engage in a battle of verbal combat and wit, makes for a unique type of enjoyment for those who immerse themselves in the activity.
Competition
Debating combines the competition of usual sporting activities with the virtues of academia in a way that virtually no other extra-curricular pursuit can match.
Travel
Debating happens all over the world and successful debaters receive well-funded opportunities to visit national and international tournaments to compete at the highest level.

THE COACHES

James Penn and James Rankin are the coaches for the Auckland Debating Academy. With a genuine passion for debating and a desire to foster the same in younger students, James and James are excited to offer Auckland students the opportunity to enjoy regular, structured and rewarding development. Having both been selected for the New Zealand Schools Debating Team, they have debated at the highest level throughout university, becoming national champions, reaching the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championship Grand Final in 2015, and ranking third in the preliminary rounds of the World Championships; Academy members will enjoy coaching from two of New Zealand’s best debaters throughout the entirety of the programme.

Get in touch

We are always pleased to hear from anyone considering enrolling in the Auckland Debating Academy and would be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have.

The Auckland Debating Academy

Premier Coaching

Sustained Development

The Perfect Environment

Why debate?

Improving your debating ability yields results in more areas than you might imagine:

THE COACHES

Contact Us