Student Leadership

Student Leadership

In the words of our student Leaders:

“At Haggerston we believe student leadership is one of the central strands of student achievement. Learning is not something that is done to us, it is a collaborative process with adults and young people working in partnership. At Haggerston we believe that the more engaged you are in your school the more likely you are to succeed.”

“In the past, student voice has been about ‘own clothes day’ or ‘the toilet facilities’. At Haggerston we wanted that to change. We wanted to have conversations about teaching and learning. We wanted to take an active role in supporting others learning and shaping the school.”

We want as many students as possible to be able to take on a leadership role. This is our story so far…

Sixth Form Future Leaders

As our Sixth Form develops, so does our leadership programme. Sixth Form Future Leaders provides opportunities for Sixth Formers to take on leadership roles around the school that expand their skill sets in preparation for life beyond Haggerston. Sixth Form Future Leaders can be identified by their black and gold lanyards.

Our Future Leaders have hosted visitors to the school during the annual Open House London event. They support Year 8 with their reading and have lead school tours for prospective students and their parents.

Our Future Leaders continue with two aspects of their role:

Mentoring

These initiatives gave our Future Leaders a chance to support our Year 7 students on a one-to-one basis. They work alongside Heads of Year, school staff and were supporting our Year 7s with transition, friendship concerns and their academic progress.

Professional Friends

This initiative pairs students with a Sixth Form partner. Key students who would benefit from a role model to help them with transition through the key moments in their ‘school life’ are buddied with a trained future leader. They meet regularly and support students with their academic work and learning. This is a supportive mentoring opportunity that benefits those selected for this.

Head Teacher’s Ambassadors

Photographed below are our 2022/2023 Head Teacher’s Ambassadors. This is the most senior responsibility at Key Stage 4 in the school. Every September Year 11 students are selected by staff for this prestigious position. The students meet regularly with the Headteacher and act as a conduit between senior staff and students. The ambassadors will be involved in many areas of school life. The new Head Teacher’s Ambassadors meet with Mr Rowe and discuss their reflections about the role and how they will represent our school. They take part in staff interviews and regularly make themselves available to all students in order to feel they know what is happening “On the playground”. The Headteacher’s ambassadors can be identified by the distinctive gold trim on their blazers.

Seniors

The Year 10 seniors are a large group of Year 10 students who are involved in shaping the school. Seniors are selected by a key member of staff and have one responsibility only. The idea behind this is to ensure that Year 10’s main focus is their own progress. Currently seniors support learning in most areas of the school. They also assist members of the leadership team. Seniors can be seen wearing a navy and gold tie or a green shirt.

3 ‘R’s for our Seniors are –

Reliable

Responsible

Respectful

Student Union

The student union is a re-packaged and re-launched Haggerston version of what many might know as the student council. A range of students from different year groups from Year 7 to Year 10 are involved in this important role. As with seniors, students had to apply in writing for this position and successfully complete a training course. At Haggerston we believe time and effort needs to be spent in preparing for a responsibility as important as the student voice. The new Student Union is coordinated by our Future Leaders in the Sixth Form who lead and ‘chair’ these meetings. So far, the student union has worked on the Mental Health and Well-being section of our school website as they advised staff on the design and necessary ingredients of this part of our school website. As with all roles of responsibility, the union members are recognisable by the shield badge on their blazers.

Buddies

At Haggerston we take the transition from primary school to secondary school very seriously. We know how much work teachers and parents do in order to make the move as smooth as possible. In order to support Year 7 in their first term at school, who better to offer guidance and support, if needed, than students who have been through the exact same experience only the year before. We call these Year 8 student’s ‘buddies’. In the past they have written letters to the new Year 7’s in the summer before they started school. They have performed at the first assembly to parents, students and staff and they have also designed the buddy benches. Buddies wear a green shield badge on their blazers.

3 ‘B’s for our Buddies are –

Be positive not negative!

Be bold and true!

Be better than best!

Some of our students want to share their top tips with you.

How Do I Get Involved In Student Leadership?

We are always keen to recruit as many students as possible who want to contribute to school life. Ask yourself these questions:

• Are you proud of your school?
• Can you see yourself as a role model?
• Do you want to take an active role in your learning?
• Can you listen as well as speak?
• Do you have something to say?

If the answer is YES look out for student leadership opportunities. They will be publicised in assembly and tutor time. The end of the summer term will be when we ask for applications for the student union, seniors and, buddies. We look forward to hearing from you.

Contact

For further information contact

Mr Rowe

Student Leadership, Academic Writing, HoD EPQ and Equalities

 daniel.rowe@haggerston.hackney.sch.uk