Three grand finals. Three world-class venues. Hundreds of students from across England and Wales who gave everything they had. This is what the end of the 2026 Debate Mate year looked like.
Debate Mate Cup Grand Final — Salesforce, Bishopsgate
Nine regional champions made the journey to Salesforce’s Bishopsgate offices for the 2026 Debate Mate Cup Grand Final. Holly Lodge High School, Bellerive FCJ Catholic College, Cathays High School, Holly Lodge Girls’ College, Havelock Academy, Camden School For Girls, Sacred Heart RC School, St Angela’s Ursuline School, and The Bridge Academy all earned their place through months of competition.
Salesforce gave us a venue that matched the occasion.
The morning opened with the prepared motion: This House prefers doing an apprenticeship over going to university. The arguments were specific, the research was sharp, and the standard set the tone for the rest of the day. Before the second round, the Salesforce Future Trailblazers team delivered a talk on AI and the ethics of how it is being built. Ed Thompson, SVP of Global Influencer Strategy, followed with a speech that considerably raised energy levels in the room.
The second debate asked whether businesses should lead on AI education. Both debates produced exactly the kind of thinking the competition exists to develop.
By the final, two teams had risen above the rest. Cathays High School and Holly Lodge Girls’ College debated the motion: This House Would prioritise investment in towns and cities over investment in the natural environment. In the end, Cathays, speaking on the Opposition, took the title.
It was the first time a school from Cardiff had won a national Debate Mate final.
Urban Debate League Grand Final — Bank of America
On Friday 26th June, fifteen schools travelled to Bank of America’s London offices in the middle of a 36°C heatwave.
Teams came from Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, and across London, many navigating delayed and difficult train journeys just to compete. Fifteen of the sixteen qualifying schools made it. That kind of commitment speaks for itself.
Bank of America welcomed every student with air conditioning, a good lunch, and genuine warmth from a host team who understood what the day meant. The final brought together two all-girls schools: Sydenham Girls’ School and Sarah Bonnell School, for one of the most memorable motions we have ever put to our students. Ffion is a scientist who has discovered absolute, undeniable evidence that in 80 years, the world will inevitably be wiped out by an asteroid. There is no way to stop this from happening. This House Believes the evidence should be revealed rather than destroyed.
Both schools argued with depth, precision, and genuine conviction. The final was livestreamed to Bank of America offices across 38 countries. Students who had spent the morning on delayed trains were, by the afternoon, speaking to an audience spanning six continents.
Novice Grand Final — Janus Henderson
The Novice Urban Debate League Grand Final brought together first-time competitors from Birmingham, Manchester, and London at Janus Henderson’s headquarters in the heart of the city. Janus Henderson provided an outstanding space and refreshments that made the day feel like the occasion it was.
The morning centred on a debate about ethical investing, exploring what ethical investment actually means in practice, whether intention or outcome is what counts, and how greenwashing complicates the picture. The quality of research was striking. Students had looked into specific companies, different categories of investment, and the gap between environmental claims and environmental action. For first-time competitors, that level of preparation was impressive.
The second debate asked whether GCSE Geography gives students more useful skills than GCSE History. It was a question that landed close to home for many in the room. Students were asked to argue for positions they might personally disagree with and to do it clearly in front of an audience. That is exactly the skill debating develops.
The final debated: This House Would ban anonymous internet profiles. Both teams engaged seriously with questions about safety, privacy, and accountability. Central Foundation Boys gave a valiant effort in the final. St Matthews Academy took the title.
Congratulations to all three champions, and to every student who competed this season. Thank you to Salesforce, Bank of America, and Janus Henderson for making these events possible. We are already looking forward to what next year brings.
