ESU Schools' Mace Debating Competition
An England and Wales debating competition where school teams argue for or against set motions in formal debates. Open to students aged 11–18 in Years 7–13, with one team representing each school. Rated Advanced Level, with difficulty mainly coming from argument construction, rebuttal, teamwork and competitive multi-round judging.
Information pending verification
Competition details can change. Always confirm dates, eligibility and entry requirements on the official organiser's website.
Official website ↗OVERALL COMPETITION LEVEL
Expert Level
5 evaluation dimensions have source-backed automatic scores; 0 dimensions need conflict review.
Competition overview
Key information
Eligible ages
11–18
School level
Years 7-13
Registration method
School Only
Competition stages
Heats, regional rounds, and grand final; one school team entry (up to five students)
Fee
GBP 65-75 per school team
Online / in-person
In-person
Dates
Competition timeline
Registration opens
Not yet announced by the organiser
Registration closes
16 Sept 2026
Competition starts
1 Nov 2026
Competition ends
31 May 2027
Editorial perspective
Our Take
ESU page states 2025-26 registration is closed and indicates annual registration closes in September.
Source information
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