Dear Supporters
It’s been a busy few months here at YSS, with the finals of both our Schools’ Mace and Public Speaking Competitions, Speak Up Scotland workshops continuing apace, and an exciting trip to the Highlands. Read on to find out more about these events, as well as what’s coming up on our calendar.
Speak Up Scotland
Our flagship Speak Up Scotland programme, supported by the National Lottery Community Fund and other generous funders, continues to deliver free debating workshops to state schools around Scotland.
Since schools came back from the Summer break, we have delivered 48 workshops to 33 schools. This academic year, we have reached 916 young people with the programme, introducing them to debating in a fun, interactive environment.
“I loved the enthusiasm of the speaker and of everyone there, I felt accepted in the community and It was really entertaining and heartwarming to see everyone take part in something we all love. I also learned lots about a subject that I find pleasure in.” – Pupil at Aberdeen Grammar School.
With many workshops scheduled between now and the Summer break, this looks set to be our biggest Speak Up Scotland year ever.
Pupils at the Speak Up Scotland workshop at Forres Academy
It was particularly exciting to be able to visit the Highlands for a week in April, delivering workshops at Ardnamurchan High School, Invergordon Academy and Forres Academy. Debating in the Highlands has grown considerably over the last few years and it was wonderful to be able to see this firsthand, particularly at schools that have been traditionally harder to reach. Thank you very much to our supporters, who make trips like this possible.
Pupils at the Speak Up Scotland workshop at Ardnamurchan High School
Schools’ Mace Competition Finals Day
On 28th February 2026, YSS held the Finals Day of our Schools’ Mace Debating Competition at Stewart’s Melville College in Edinburgh. This was the largest final we have ever run, with sixteen teams from across Scotland gathering for three challenging knockout rounds on a range of topics, culminating in a Grand Final. We also held a Junior Final for the second time – firmly establishing this initiative as part of the Schools’ Mace event.
After an outstanding day of debating, Broxburn Academy were crowned Mace Champions, with the composite team of Dingwall Academy & Hyndland Secondary School named runners-up. In the Junior Final, the composite team of Stewart’s Melville College & The Mary Erskine School claimed victory, with Gryffe High School as runners-up.
The fifteen schools competing were: Broxburn Academy, Douglas Academy, Dingwall Academy/Hyndland Secondary School (composite), Grantown Grammar School, Stewart’s Melville College, Aberdeen Grammar School, Thurso High School, Dollar Academy, Invergordon Academy, Banchory Academy, Marr College, Woodfarm High School, Nairn Academy, Currie Community High School and Millburn Academy.
Of these, Broxburn Academy, Douglas Academy, Dingwall Academy/Hyndland Secondary School and Grantown Grammar School advanced through the quarter-finals and semi-finals to contest an inspiring Grand Final, which was won by the team from Broxburn Academy.
The winners of the 2025-2026 Schools’ Mace, Sarah P and Lena Z from Broxburn Academy.
The Junior Final featured teams from Aberdeen Grammar School, Gryffe High School, Stewart’s Melville College/The Mary Erskine School (composite) and Nairn Academy. Now in its second year, the Junior Final once again showcased the depth of emerging debating talent across Scotland. After a wonderful debate, the Stewart’s Melville College/The Mary Erskine School composite team were declared winners, with Gryffe High School as runners-up.
We were especially pleased to see 16 schools from our Speak Up Scotland programme qualify for this prestigious event and 44 state school teams represented across the board.
Throughout the day, teams received detailed feedback from judges, supporting their continued development as speakers. We were delighted that the Grand Final was chaired by Heather Cook, a former competitor at the Schools’ Mace who is now studying at the University of Glasgow. It was particularly special to see a former participant return to support the competition in this way. Thank you very much to all the judges and volunteers who helped make the competition possible.
“The Schools’ Mace was the first competition I entered. The feedback I received helped me grow as a debater and as a person. Returning to judge the Grand Final was a full circle moment! Well done to all the debaters – we had our work cut out for us choosing a winner.” – Heather Cook, chair of the Grand Final.
Well done to all the teams that took part and thank you to the teachers who support debating around Scotland. This year’s Finals Day was the high point of an impressive year of debating
The winners of the Junior FInal of the 2025-2026 Schools’ Mace, Ursula M from The Mary Erskine School and Henry C from Stewart’s Melville College.
Public Speaking Competition
On March 14th 2026, YSS held the Grand Final of our Public Speaking Competition at Nicolson Square Venues in Edinburgh.
Speakers qualified for this event after taking part in a competitive preliminary heat in November, and were tasked with delivering speeches in one of two categories: Persuasive Speaking and After-Dinner Speaking. Speakers who chose Persuasive Speaking gave speeches highlighting a problem and their proposed solution, with the aim of convincing the judges. Speakers who chose After-Dinner Speaking had the challenge of delivering an entertaining speech to a fictional audience. Both these categories were split into a junior (S1-S3) and a senior (S4-S6) division.
Ben M (Woodfarm High School) competing in the After-Dinner Speaking Category.
Speakers from 13 schools took part in this year’s final. The schools represented were: Douglas Academy, Earlston High School, Falkirk High School, Grantown Grammar School, George Heriot’s School, Grove Academy, Invergordon Academy, Kinross High School, The High School of Glasgow, St Mary’s Music School, St Ninian’s High School, Wellington School and Woodfarm High School.
It was wonderful to see such a wide representation of schools from across Scotland. For many this was their first time taking part in a public speaking competition.
After a series of outstanding speeches, the judges selected Hannah B from St Ninian’s High School (persuasive) and Naomi L from George Heriot’s School (after-dinner) as the junior winners, and Aaron S from The High School of Glasgow (persuasive) and Ben M from Woodfarm High School (after-dinner) as the senior winners.
Renee L (St Mary’s Music School) competing in After–Dinner Speaking.
Judges were impressed by the quality of speeches and the wide range of topics. Competitors covered issues as varied as feminism, over-climbing on Mount Everest, humans’ impact on the migratory paths of birds and the short-term nature of our politics.
Suzanne Ensom, a judge at the event said ‘It was an absolute pleasure to judge the YSS Public Speaking Competition. The wealth of talent and range of topics covered ensured that it was a really brilliant day, and testament to the hard work and preparation put in by YSS, the schools and, most of all, by the pupils themselves. The ability to stand up and speak in front of an audience is a skill all young people should have, and the work of YSS to encourage this is of vital importance.’
This year’s Public Speaking Competition demonstrated the impact of YSS’s Speak Up Scotland workshop programme. Eight state schools at the Grand Final were participants in this programme, which builds confidence and critical thinking in young people through the medium of public speaking and debating.
Thank you to Nicolson Square Venues for hosting this event, to the judges who gave up their time and provided such useful feedback to participants, and to the teachers and parents who helped their speakers prepare. We can’t wait to see where these fiercely intelligent and articulate young people go next.
Upcoming Events
We are encouraged to see such a large number of new competitions emerge in Scotland over the last few years. These events exemplify the growth in Scottish schools debating, particularly among schools new to the activity.
We will be lending our support to the following events:
West Lothian Debating Competition – 29 May
Craigmount Debating Competition – 29 May
Ayrshire Cup – 18 June
Highland Schools Debating Competition – 22 June
Additionally, we wish the Scottish National Team the best of luck in representing the country at the World Schools Debating Competition in Kenya in July,
Thank You
As we move towards exams we would like to wish all pupils good luck and thank everyone who makes our work possible through their support – whether through volunteering, donations, or partnerships. In particular we would like to thank Stewart’s Melville College for hosting the Schools’ Mace 2025/2026 Finals Day this term.
Your help gives young people across Scotland the chance to find their voice.
With very best wishes,
Jeff Lovitt
Chair