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Student Leadership

Student Leadership:

At the start of Autumn term, we organising elections that structure the school and pupil voice with student leaders. At Abbeywood First school student leadership is not the sole domain of the student council. Student leadership roles appear throughout year groups and in a variety of guises including Student Ambassadors for charity, civic, sport, eco and diversity. Alongside these we have play leaders that support during social times.

Abbeywood First School champion the importance of structured student leadership opportunities recognising the many benefits this can have for students and the school community. These might include:

  • Increased student engagement – student leaders are more likely to be engaged in their education and invested in the success of their school.
  • The development of valuable personal skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and decision making which will enhance their learning.
  • Increased school community engagement as students support events within school and out in the community.
  • Enhanced school culture through student leaders promoting a sense of cohesion and community within the school.
  • The development of student voice to identify and address issues of inequality, discrimination and social justice within the school.

Whilst there may be a focus on key groups of students all students can benefit from developing their own leadership skills and this can be achieved in a wide range of contexts. We ensure student leaders can be active in all areas of school life including sports, subjects, peer support and mentoring and volunteering.

 

Eco-School

We are extremely proud of our school and how much we look after our environment. We continually work hard to help our school become even more sustainable.  We meet every two weeks, and we are currently focusing on the following areas.

Energy saving, school grounds, waste and recycling, bio diversity.

Our school Eco Code:

Greener Planet

Healthier Lives

 

School leaders are also finding that an active focus on student leadership and student voice are supporting the ‘recovery curriculum’. Student leaders are more likely to take ownership of their own learning and take the initiative in their education. They can also provide peer support, acting as mentors and supporting other students, helping to create a positive and inclusive school culture. Developing leadership skills also encourages students to be more resilient, adapting to change and seeking out solutions, essential for students re-building their confidence post pandemic.

One way of fostering the development of student leadership skills is to engage students in awards and accreditations. These provide motivation to develop their skills and recognise the progress that they make.

SSAT’s Student Leadership Accreditation forms part of our membership offer and is free for members. It offers a formal way to champion and celebrate leadership skills that students develop in and out of school, requiring students www.ssatuk.co.uk/cpd/student-leadership/student-leadership-accreditation/to create a portfolio in which they gather evidence to showcase their skills. They grade their work using a self-assessment framework that covers ten core skill sets, grouped into three themes:

  • Developing myself
  • Working with others
  • Contributing to my community

It is also available for primary schools. You can find out more here.

If you’d like to know more about our work on student leadership including training for teachers with responsibility for student leadership, or you’d like SSAT to deliver training to your students, you can find out more here.

 

Contact Us

Abbeywood First School,
Wood Piece Ln,
Church Hill Way,
Redditch B98 9LR

01527 962794