The Kingston Young Thinkers Mastermind™
A six-week programme where children learn to think clearly, argue confidently and speak with conviction.
For kids 8-11 | Kingston-upon-Thames
6 weeks programmeStarting in May 2026
Investment £300
In each session, children take part in lively debates, persuasion challenges and a mock courtroom trial where they argue real cases and defend their ideas.
Children are intelligent but many hesitate to speak up.
They have ideas but lack the confidence or structure to express them clearly.
The ability to think critically and speak confidently is one of the most valuable skills a young person can develop.
A six-week Young Thinkers Mastermind™ for children aged 8-11
Kingston-upon-Thames
In a world of AI, social media and information overload, the ability to think clearly, argue well and communicate confidently has never been more valuable.
Yet those skills are rarely taught in the classroom.
The Young Thinkers Mastermind™ is a small-group programme designed to help children develop the skills most schools don’t explicitly teach: clear thinking, confident speaking, and respectful debate.
In a group of just 10 students, children learn how to build arguments, challenge ideas, and present their thinking with confidence through debates, mock trials, and speaking challenges.
Every session ends with a practical challenge, from debate duels to a mock courtroom, so students are not just learning ideas but actively demonstrating them.
By the end of the programme, students will have:
• delivered persuasive speeches
• competed in structured debates
• analysed arguments critically
• participated in a mock trial
These are the same thinking and communication skills used in leadership, law, business and public life.
What Your Child Will Learn
Over six weeks, children develop core oracy, reasoning and communication skills through activities designed to be challenging, engaging and genuinely fun.
How to build and defend an argument clearly and confidently.
❋ Structured debate
How to analyse evidence, spot weak arguments and think independently.
❋ Logical reasoning
❋ Public speaking
How to present ideas with clarity, confidence and conviction.
How to make a compelling case and bring others with them.
❋ Persuasion and rhetoric
❋ Respectful disagreement
How to challenge ideas constructively and listen critically.
How Your Child Will Learn
Each week students take part in interactive challenges. The progamme culminates in a mock trial and debate competition, a highlight that children consistently find memorable, motivating and genuinely exciting.
Debate duels
Students argue topics like “Should homework be banned?”
Persuasion challenges
Students attempt to convince the class of unusual ideas.
Argument detective games
Students analyse claims and spot weak reasoning.
Mock trials
Students take on the roles of prosecution, defence, and jury.
Why this matters academically
These are not soft skills. They are the foundation of strong academic performance.
Children who can think critically, communicate clearly and construct reasoned arguments perform better across every subject, from English and humanities to science and mathematics. For children preparing for selective secondary school entry, including Tiffin, Kingston Grammar, Surbiton High, Kings College and other competitive schools, these skills are directly relevant to verbal reasoning, comprehension and interview performance.
In Ofsted terms, this programme directly supports:
Oracy and communication development
Personal development and character education
Critical thinking and independent learning
Confidence and resilience
What Children Actually Do
Each session combines thinking challenges with practical speaking experience.
Children will:
• Debate topics like
“Should homework be banned?”
• Persuade the group of unusual ideas in our persuasion challenges
• Analyse claims and learn to spot weak arguments
• Take part in a mock courtroom trial where they act as lawyers, witnesses and judges
• Compete in a final debate competition
By the end of the six weeks, every child will have stood up, argued their ideas and taken part in a mock trial and debate competition.
Children leave with the ability to speak clearly, think critically, and defend ideas is one of the most valuable skills a young person can develop.
These skills help children succeed in:
• school presentations
• interviews and university applications
• leadership roles
• professional careersThe Mastermind is intentionally limited to 10 students so every child participates in every session.
This is not a lecture-style programme.
Students are actively participating throughout every session.Each week ends with a challenge, a debate, persuasive speech, or mock trial where students demonstrate what they have learned.
Designed for every kind of thinker
If your child is quiet, unsure or has never debated before, this programme was built for them.
This programme is not about being the loudest voice in the room or already knowing how to argue a point. It is designed for children who are just starting to find their voice and those who have one but don’t yet know how to use it effectively.
Every session is structured so that children build confidence gradually. We start with simple fun topics where there are no wrong answers, just opinions worth exploring. The challenge increases week by week, at a pace that feels achievable rather than overwhelming.
By the time the children reach their mock trial and debate competition, they are not just ready for it, they are excited for it.
About Patricia
Hello!I struggled in school. I didn’t grasp reading and writing until way after my peers. I was embarrassed most of the time, because I couldn’t articulate my ideas, challenge concepts and just speak coherently. A defining moment was a Lawyer coming to my school to give us a motivational talk. That talk gave me a goal and something to reach for. It changed my trajectory. Later in life I learnt that I have dyslexia, which explains a lot. Along my journey however, I developed tools that have served me well. I created a path for myself despite all the odds.
I have spent my entire life doing what I will teach your child to do: construct airtight arguments, analyse evidence under pressure, communicate with precisions and persuade, whether across a negotiating table or in front of a room.
I am an Oxford graduate, trained Barrister and practising lawyer with over 20 years of commercial experience and I have spent my career constructing arguments, analysing evidence and communicating complex ideas clearly, in courtrooms, boardrooms and across international jurisdictions.
I went on to become a lecturer of law, teaching contract law and later on, while working in Indonesia as a legal consultant, I designed and delivered a reasoning and advocacy course for qualified lawyers, building it around structured debate, plain English thinking and competitive mock debate finale. It was a hit and one of the most rewarding things I have done professionally.
Now, as a mother, I teach my son these skills naturally at home. I know they work. And I also know that most children never get access to them in a structured way.
This programme exists to change that, for children in Kingston-unpon-Thames.
I am a long standing member of the Kingston community. I have spoken at Kingston Council, appeared on the popular local radio station, Radio Jackie, and have been actively involved in public life.
Children who learn to think clearly and speak confidently have an advantage that lasts a lifetime.
Programme Details
Format: Small group, maximum 10 children
Age group: 8-11 years old
Duration: 6 weeks, 90 minutes per session
The experience:
• six 90-minute Mastermind sessions
• debate materials and exercises
• mock trial experience
• certificate of completion
Location: Kingston-upon-Thames
Investment: £300 per child for the full programme
Next cohort: Starting soon. Places are limited
Reserve your child’s place
If a child attends the first session and does not feel the programme is right for them, we offer a full refund.
Critical Thinking & Debate is run by Patricia Haywood, a DBS checked legal professional with extensive experience in advocacy, reasoning and structured communication.