British Parliamentary · Oxford Union, Oxford (finals day) · Invitation only
Oxford Schools Debating Competition 2027
Organised by Oxford Union
The largest schools debating competition in the UK.
The Oxford Schools Debating Competition is the largest schools debating competition in the United Kingdom, run by the Oxford Union. Teams of two enter regional rounds around the country between November and February, and the strongest qualify for finals day at the Oxford Union in March.
Entry is by invitation only. The Oxford Union requires same-school teams, so we enter students through partner schools; our coaches put forward students from the competition programmes. The format is British Parliamentary, not World Schools, and the finals date shown is provisional.
What's included if you sign up through us
- 4 hours of coaching by experts
- Sorted registration and judge requirement
- Feedback about the tournament after the rounds
Can I register directly?
No. Speak to your child's coach; places are offered to students in the competition programmes.
Is it World Schools format?
No, British Parliamentary in pairs. Our coaches cover the format switch in prep.
Preparing for the tournament
Students entering their first judged rounds usually get the most out of a short run of coached practice first. The Foundation class covers the format from scratch, the Competition Team trains year-round, and the motion bank has thousands of real motions to practise on. How rounds are scored is explained in how World Schools judging works.