ESU Schools Mace
The English-Speaking Union Schools' Mace is an annual debating tournament for secondary schools in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The competition was founded in 1957 by the journalist Kenneth Harris of The Observer newspaper,[1] and was initially known as The Observer Schools' Mace. Since 1995, the tournament has been organised by the English-Speaking Union, with assistance from several regional convenors.[2]
Schools across the United Kingdom and Ireland are eligible to enter one team in the championships each year, made up of three student debaters from the school. Teams compete in multiple rounds before regional finals, the winners from each of the twelve regions going on to the national final day. Final day is made up of two rounds: the semi-finals, in which the regional champions are split into two groups of six, with the winning team of each group moving on to the last round, and the grand final, the winner of which is crowned national champion, receiving medals and a trophy, as well as having their names put on the Silver Mace the competition is named for.
The equivalent competition for universities in the UK and Ireland is the John Smith Memorial Mace.
Past champions
| 2024 | Radley College, Oxford |
|---|---|
| 2023 | St Paul's Girls' School, London[3] |
| 2022 | Tonbridge Grammar School, Kent |
| 2021 | Wellington College, Berkshire[4] |
| 2020 | None (Cancelled due to COVID-19) |
| 2019 | Saint Francis Xavier's College |
| 2018 | George Watson's College, Edinburgh |
| 2017 | St Francis College, Rochestown |
| 2016 | Loreto College, St Stephen's Green, Dublin |
| 2015 | St Columba's School, Kilmacolm |
| 2014 | George Heriot's School, Edinburgh |
| 2013 | Dulwich College, London |
| 2012 | Eton College, Berkshire |
| 2011 | St Paul's School, London |
| 2010 | Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, Hertfordshire |
| 2009 | St Paul's School, London |
| 2008 | Dalriada School, County Antrim |
| 2007 | Grove Academy, Dundee |
| 2006 | City of London School |
| 2005 | St Bonaventure's RC School, London |
| 2004 | George Heriot's School, Edinburgh |
| 2003 | The Bishop's Stortford High School, Hertfordshire |
| 2002 | Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, Hertfordshire |
| 2001 | George Heriot's School, Edinburgh |
| 2000 | Sandford Park High School, Dublin |
| 1999 | High School of Glasgow |
| 1998 | High School of Glasgow |
| 1997 | Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Cork |
| 1996 | Westminster School, London |
| 1995 | George Heriot's School, Edinburgh |
| 1994 | Harrogate Grammar School |
| 1993 | Durham Johnston Comprehensive School |
| 1992 | Aylesbury Grammar School |
| 1991 | Watford Grammar School for Boys |
| 1990 | Solihull Sixth Form College |
| 1989 | Westminster School, London |
| 1988 | Ripon Grammar School |
| 1987 | Lancing College, West Sussex |
| 1986 | Lowlands Sixth Form College, Harrow |
| 1985 | Liverpool College |
| 1984 | St George's College, Weybridge |
| 1983 | Solihull Sixth Form College |
| 1982 | Winchester College |
| 1981 | Hereford Cathedral School |
| 1980 | Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, Herts |
| 1979 | Sutton High School for Girls |
| 1978 | City of London School |
| 1977 | Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, Herts |
| 1976 | Marlborough College, Wilts |
| 1975 | Ampleforth College, North Yorks |
| 1974 | Tynemouth College, North Tyneside |
| 1973 | Tudor Grange Grammar School, Solihull |
| 1972 | Hereford Cathedral School |
| 1971 | Queen Elizabeth's School for Girls, Barnet |
| 1970 | Convent of the Holy Child, Blackpool |
| 1969 | Hampton Grammar School, Middlesex |
| 1968 | Bromsgrove School, Worcs |
| 1967 | St Lawrence College, Kent |
| 1966 | King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, Birmingham |
| 1965 | Eton College, Windsor |
| 1964 | Eton College, Windsor |
| 1963 | Ampleforth College, North Yorks |
| 1962 | Dulwich College, London |
| 1961 | Felsted School, Essex |
| 1960 | Christ's Hospital, West Sussex |
| 1959 | City of Bath Boys' School |
| 1957 | Felsted School, Essex |
See also
- John Smith Memorial Mace (universities competition)
- English-Speaking Union
References
- ^ The journalist who saved The Observer The Guardian, 3 July 2005
- ^ Schools Mace Debating Competition
- ^ Goodfellow, Natasha (2023-03-30). "Schools' Mace Debating Competition Winners". ESU. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
- ^ "National Success for Our Debating Champions". 29 April 2021.