The 2026 edition of the KMAT Great Debate is officially underway — and this year, the Key Stage 3 competition is bigger, louder and more ambitious than ever.

Re-branded as the KMAT Great Debate: Coventry and Warwickshire, this year's Qualification Tournament saw schools from across the region battle it out across three fiercely contested events.

Joining them were a growing number of schools from beyond the county, underlining just how quickly the KMAT Great Debate is expanding beyond its original home in Coventry and Warwickshire.

And with masses of eager students, dozens of debates and plenty of arguments to settle, the road to the Grand Final has well and truly begun.

The students behind the debate

While the debaters may have been the ones stepping into the ring, the qualification tournament simply would not have happened without the sixth form students of Kenilworth School.

The vast majority of the tournament was organised, managed and judged by our own sixth form students, supported by just one or two members of staff. From keeping the debates running smoothly to judging the arguments taking place in front of them, these young adults took on a remarkable level of responsibility — and delivered.

For Kenilworth School, this is a source of immense pride.

The feedback from visiting schools was unanimous: staff and students alike had nothing but praise for the sixth form volunteers. Their professionalism, enthusiasm and willingness to get stuck in helped create an event that was not only well organised, but genuinely special for everyone who attended.

It is one thing to teach students about leadership, responsibility and confidence. It is quite another to see them put those qualities into practice in front of dozens of visiting schools.

Our sixth form students didn't just help run the KMAT Great Debate. They made it happen.

Qualification tournament one

The first Qualification Tournament was opened by Sir Jeremy Wright, Conservative MP for Kenilworth and Southam.

Sir Jeremy spoke passionately about the importance of debate, highlighting one of the fundamental principles at the heart of the KMAT Great Debate: listening to your opponent. He was kind enough to stay and watch a number of the debates himself — and appeared genuinely impressed by the quality of the discussions taking place.

Taking to social media, Sir Jeremy said of the competition that "debating builds confidence, listening skills and respect for other people's opinions, which are skills for life." He said a "Huge thanks to all the judges who volunteered their time. Good luck to all students taking part!"

Those students in attendance appreciated the opportunity to speak with a sitting MP, and his presence added to the sense that the competition is starting to register on a national level.

The opening tournament featured hosts Kenilworth School and King Edward VI School, alongside out-of-county visitors St Peter's Catholic School from Solihull and Rushey Mead Academy from Leicester, both of whom entered two teams.

St Peter's also provided a number of judges, helping to support the event ahead of their own KMAT Great Debate satellite tournament.

The Mayor of Kenilworth, Cllr Alison Insley, was also in attendance, getting a first-hand look at the competition ahead of her own role as a judge at the Grand Final. Once again, the quality of the debates clearly made an impression.

Cllr Insley said: "As town mayor, I enjoy seeing children develop and grow into good citizens and members of our Kenilworth community.

"Taking part in debating is a fantastic opportunity and, a great skill for all aspects of life now and in the future, raising knowledge and understanding, increasing confidence, listening skills and learning to respect the opinion of others.

"Debating requires immense focus, preparation, and respect for one's opponent. By introducing school children to debating, we are fostering a generation of resilient, articulate, and confident leaders who know how to stand their ground respectfully.

"Thank you to Mr Dudley for organising and running the increasingly popular event, the judges and to all the children for taking part."

Qualification Tournament Two

The second Qualification Tournament was the largest of the three — and featured a fantastic mix of returning competitors and KMAT Great Debate debutants.

Bishop Ullathorne Catholic School from Coventry and Campion School from Leamington Spa were taking part in their third KMAT Great Debate event, while Lawrence Sheriff School from Rugby returned to the competition having competed in the inaugural 2023 event.

Hartshill Academy and Ash Green School were both making their second appearances, while Bilton School from Rugby entered the competition for the very first time.

The tournament also saw a significant contingent from outside the county. Royal Grammar School: Worcester entered two teams, as did Caroline Chisholm School from Northampton. They were joined by Northampton School for Boys, taking the total number of teams competing at the event to eleven.

In anticipation of their own KMAT Great Debate satellite tournament, Royal Grammar School: Worcester supplied a number of Key Stage 5 student judges too.

The tournament was also honoured by the presence of His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Tim Cox, who attended ahead of taking up his position as a judge at the upcoming Grand Final.

Of the event, Mr Cox said: "I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of watching the debaters engaging with one another. I also appreciated the assistance from the Kenilworth Town Youth Council representative who was kind enough to show me the ropes.

"Good luck to everyone who has made it through to the Grand Final, and I'll see them all on October 14."

Mr Cox embraced the spirit of the event, working alongside a representative of Kenilworth Town Council's Youth Council. She was understandably more than a little surprised when she discovered exactly who it was she had been coaching at the end of the competition!

Qualification tournament three

The third and final Qualification Tournament brought yet more schools into the ring.

Warwick School, Arnold Lodge School from Leamington Spa and Queen Elizabeth Academy from Atherstone all returned to the competition, while Caludon Court School from Coventry and Stratford Girls' Grammar School made their KMAT Great Debate debuts.

By this point, the standard was clear: the students had come prepared.

Every debater had been given six potential topics in advance, and the preparation was obvious from the moment the debates began. Students arrived ready to argue, challenge, question and - perhaps most importantly - listen.

There were plenty of memorable exchanges throughout the tournaments, but one topic proved particularly entertaining: potholes.

It is difficult to imagine many rooms full of Key Stage 3 students giving potholes quite so much airtime. Yet somehow, the students managed to turn the humble road defect into a genuinely engaging debate. It was both entertaining and a perfect example of what makes the KMAT Great Debate so much fun to watch.

The Road to the Grand Final

Eventually, however, the preparation notes were packed away, the scores were counted and the dust began to settle.

Of all the Coventry and Warwickshire schools competing in the Qualification Tournaments, ten would earn their place in the Grand Final, joining hosts Kenilworth School and Westwood Academy.

And the results speak for themselves.