One of the central planks of our long term plan at Churchill is to “develop leadership which helps create the leaders of the future.” We know that students benefit from developing their leadership skills, both in terms of their confidence and character, their success in learning, and their long-term prospects. This is why we have been working hard since 2020 to improve and enhance our student leadership programme, to give students the opportunity to lead within and beyond the classroom.

This past week it has been evident just how successful these innovations have become. Since half term, I have seen:

• Students leading house assemblies to launch the whole-school sustainability competition
• The student-led inclusion and diversity group making a presentation to the Academy Trust Board on their priorities for tackling micro-aggressions by improving education and understanding of diversity and the power of language
• Student ambassadors giving tours of the Academy to candidates for jobs at Churchill, and students applying from other schools to join our Sixth Form
• A student panel from Years 7 to 11 interviewing candidates for Deputy Headteacher at the Academy, and providing insightful and perceptive feedback which helped the selection committee make a decision about the successful candidate
• Sixth Form leaders assisting with the setup and organisation of Wednesday’s Careers Convention
• The Green Team offering Duke of Edinburgh volunteering placements as part of their environmental initiatives
• The Student Receptionist programme offering Year 8 students the opportunity to build responsibility, initiative and confidence during their day’s experience
• Students leading learning through presentations and peer assessment and feedback
• Performing Arts Captains leading rehearsals and performances in music, dance and drama
• Students showing leadership on the sports fields and courts, as captains and competitors
• The Sixth Form Council proposing an integrated fundraising programme to support the whole-school non-uniform day on 18th March

And this is just what I have seen, and just in the past two weeks!

We know that every student can demonstrate leadership skills, and It feels like the programme has taken root and is flourishing. They are also logging their evidence on the Unifrog system, so that they can track their skills over time and use them when preparing CVs and working towards careers over the coming years. The leaders of the future are right here in our student community – and the future is bright.