After the enormous success of the inaugural 2023- 24 Cambridge Schools ANZ competition, Speakers ’ Corner is pleased to confirm that it will return for 2024-25.
This prestigious British Parliamentary competition is open to students across Australia and New Zealand, from year 7-year 11 (NSW definition). The competition will take place in-person in Sydney, though interstate and New Zealand teams may join remotely.
The top four teams will be invited to participate in the global finals, in March 2025, which will be at the Cambridge Union in England.
Join us on Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th of October for a weekend of challenging debates and a chance to debate at Cambridge!
Details
When: Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th October
Where: TBD Sydney Location (Most likely Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview)
Cost: $220 AUD per person ($440 AUD per team), including GST.
Style: British Parliamentary
Convenor and Chief Adjudicator: TBD
Rules
Prep time: 15 minutes from release of topic.
Speaking times: 7 minutes.
Debates feature 4 teams of 2 (Government and Opposition, Closing and Opening).
Points of Information: you can ask questions during your opposition ’ s speeches.
Power pairing: who you debate each round is based on your record in earlier debates.
*More detailed rules will be sent upon registration.
The registration link:
Payment link for teams:
Payment link for individuals:
Timing And Structure (All times are Sydney times)
Saturday
9.00am: Check-in
9.30: Briefing
10.00: Round 1 topic release
10.15: Round 1
12.00pm: lunch
12.30: Round 2 topic release
12.45: Round 2
2.15: Round 3 topic release
2.30: Round 3
4.15: Day 1 concludes
Sunday
9.00am: Check-in
9.30: Briefing
9.45: Round 4 topic release
10am: Round 4
12.00pm: Lunch
12.30: Break and SF topic release
12.45: Semi-finals
2.15: GF topic release
2.30: Grand-final
4.30: Closing Ceremony
Prizes
The winning team will be the second-ever Cambridge Schools Australia and New Zealand Debating Champions!
The top four teams will receive automatic entry into the global finals in 2025 at the Cambridge Union in England.
The top 10 individual speakers will be announced and awarded.
*Prior experience in British Parliamentary format is not required, and Speakers ’ Corner will offer training and resources before the tournament.
Adjudication
The tournament will feature some of the world’ s best debaters as adjudicators, ensuring competitive integrity and valuable feedback. This will give students, staff, and parents refreshingly reliable results.
Finals
Please note that while entry into the finals is covered by the initial fee, it will not cover travel and accommodation. Neither Speakers ’ Corner nor Oxford will facilitate accommodation or travel.
Break Size
We are expecting between 80 and 100 teams to participate. With 8 teams making finals, we expect teams will will need between 9 and teams on 10 points to guarantee a place.
Extra Training
Optional BP trainings can be purchased using the payment link. They will run on Zoom from 6- 8pm in the weeks prior to the competition and cost $30 AUD per session per person.
Payment link for individual training session (per person per session): https://buy.stripe.com/fZe9E3gm36F3g9O7uy
Frequently Asked Questions
Staffing
Schools staff are not required to attend. Speakers ’ Corner will provide all required supervision. Students can enter independently, without the assistance of schools. Of course, coordinators, coaches, and parents are encouraged to attend.
Team Composition Rules
Teams must be from the same school. The competition is open to any student between year 7 and year 11 (NSW) in 2024. Students graduating from high school in 2024 are not eligible.
Deadline
Deadline for registration is the 5th of October.
For More Information
Speakers ’ Corner is a debating and public speaking academy based created and run by experienced, successful debaters. We provide high-level coaching to students of all ages and skills through schools programs and our independent group and private classes. These coaching programs marry our world-class curriculum with an unparalleled network of national and international champions.
We also host and enter teams into elite competitions, and have been trusted by not only Oxford, but also Harvard and Cambridge.
So whether you ’ re a student looking to take your debating to the next level or a teacher looking for assistance with a school debating program reach out to Speakers ’ Corner at info@speakerscornerau.com and check out our website https://www.speakerscornerau.com/