As we move through the summer term many schools will be organising elections and re-examining the structures that support their student leaders. Student leadership is no longer the sole domain of the student council, in many schools and academies student leadership roles appear throughout year groups and in a variety of guises including Sports Leaders, Peer Mentors, Student Ambassadors and student Subject Leaders.
SSAT have long championed 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. Student leaders can be active in all areas of school life including sports, subjects, peer support and mentoring and volunteering.
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 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.
