‘One of our pupils had an Oxford interview recently and they were very interested in her Ireland digital debate. The feedback on the debates was great from parents too.’

- Ann

‘Thank you so much for organising today’s debate. It was a great opportunity for my students to push themselves out of their comfort zone; they have never taken part in any debating or public speaking, and this will undoubtedly prove useful for them going forward. It will also give them strong foundations for when they begin their coursework in the summer term. Their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.’

- Lila

‘Many thanks for hosting a brilliant workshop today. The girls were delighted with themselves and really appreciated the learning feedback hugely.’

- Caroline

‘I thought it was a really interesting experience, something I’ve never done before and I thoroughly enjoyed putting my points across and discussing everyone’s viewpoint of the masterclass. It also massively improved my confidence in situations where we were put under pressure and it placed me out of my comfort zone which I believe is very beneficial for me. Overall I really enjoyed the masterclass!’

- A-Level student

‘Being put under time pressure to collect sources and connect them to points from perspectives I hadn’t debated before was good. And we had time to act upon the feedback we got straight away rather than having to wait till next debate which means I think the feedback will be much more effective than in an ordinary debate.’

- A-Level student

‘Receiving honest and direct feedback me feel confident and more able to structure arguments.’

- A-Level student

‘A lot of attention focused on each person – direct and thorough feedback.’

- A-Level student

‘Thank you so much for taking the time with our pupils this afternoon, they loved it so much! I was so pleased to see them get more confident as the time went on, so I’m so excited to see them develop as our partnership grows!’

- Diana, Head of History from a school in Northern Ireland

‘I liked listening to other points of view in the debates. I did not want to argue that the British government should be praised for the Balfour declaration is really hard but I enjoyed it and think I learnt a lot because of it.’

- Year 9 student

‘They enjoyed working with students from other schools, and I saw their confidence grow in debating, and using the evidence to support their point of view. It was great to see how they started off with one interpretation but would then often change sides after hearing the other arguments. They really understood the importance of engaging with the source material to ensure that their argument was rooted in the evidence, which helped them in their own studies. I have found it a really valuable experience for myself and my students and am looking forward to taking part in further Parallel Histories discussions in the future.’

- Kim