Our Debating Wombats course is an experienced level program.

Designed for students with formal coaching in debating, we recommend that students only enrol if they have:

• completed at least one (but ideally multiple) term of our Debating Parrots or Debating Wombats program;
• previously participated in either our Debating Pelicans term program or Debating Hawks holiday program, and want to continue working on their debating skills;
• received formal training with another provider; or
• attended a school with a comprehensive debating training program, and competed in a number of interschool debates.

Importantly, debating and public speaking are very different skills – attending a public speaking program with us, or participating in a public speaking program at school, doesn’t really prepare students for this workshop – they would be better off giving out Debating Parrots program a try.

If you’re not sure whether your child would be better suited for our Debating Parrots or Debating Pelicans program, please get in touch and we would be more than happy to discuss it with you!

Over the course of the term, students will have the opportunity to:

• revise key theory about policy (‘should’) debates and take their understanding to the next level;
• received targeted individualised feedback and work towards individual goals;
• deploy what they have learned during in-class debates (there will be practice debates most weeks of the term);
• practice different speaking roles and argue from both affirmative and negative sides of a debate; and
• learn how to work effectively in a team environment.

Our Term Debating Hawks is a modular program – this means that rather than prescribe what coaches will teach over a term, we instead give them a wide range of session that they are able to pick and choose from, depending on the skill level, experience and general preferences of the group that they are teaching.

That said, students will:

• have the opportunity to revise the key concepts involved with ‘Policy’ debating at the beginning of the term, to ensure that everyone is on the same page;
• participate in practice debates almost every week; and
• be involved in a parent presentation near the end of the term to showcase their improved skills.

Our classes vary in size every term depending on how many bookings we receive – however, the maximum size of our Debating Pelicans class is around eight students with one coach.

If there aren’t any spots left, it’s usually because we’ve hit capacity, but may also be the result of a miscommunication with the coaching college – please get in touch with us and we’ll see what we can do about either opening an extra class, fitting your child into the existing class, or putting you on a waitlist in case any students pull out!

After each program, students will go home with:

• a personal feedback sheet prepared by their coach, which goes through what they’ve improved on, and what still needs some work;
• a certificate recognising their achievements;
• a course booklet, which covers everything they’ve learned over the course of the term;
• the speech that they prepared for their parent demonstration debate; and
• improve debating skills and techniques!