Student Voice
Ridgeway Academy ensures students are at the heart of everything we do. We ensure students are able to voice their opinions, take on leadership roles and become ambassadors for Ridgeway.
“I wanted to be Head Girl as I wanted to be a voice for my peers and myself and I always knew what I wanted to contribute to the school. Ever since Year 9 I’ve felt as if the role would really push me and give me that first experience of importance. I feel extremely confident in the team I have and I know that alongside them, we will do wonders and I’m looking forward to my time as Head Girl and hope I can inspire others to apply.”
Head Girl – Tilly Morris
The Ridgeway Academy develops student voice through active focus groups, who meet half termly with members of the school community, including the Senior Leadership Team, Heads of House, Directors of Learning and members of the Sixth Form Leadership Team. They are able to feed back to their peers and bring forward any ideas or concerns which they may have; the aim is to allow students to take ownership of their school and be an integral part of making Ridgeway Academy the best it can be.
“I applied for the position of Head Boy because I had a clear picture of what I could do to contribute and improve Ridgeway Academy. Being Head Boy gives you experience in leadership and organisation, attributes which are very important to me. I am very confident in my public speaking skills and my ability to work in a team, which further encouraged me to apply.”
Head Boy – Eduard Pindici
Each form group from Years 7 to 10 has four representatives; one from each house. Each house group also appoints a ‘House Captain’. House Captains support the Heads of House to develop opportunities for widening participation and support our school charities and the wider local communities. Students from across the school are also given the opportunity to become ‘Eco Ambassadors’, as part of the ‘Eco-Schools Award’ scheme.
Subject areas also offer leadership opportunities within their Departments. These subject ambassadors are awarded throughout the year. There is also a highly prestigious Sports Leadership Programme which has allowed a vast number of students to take on leadership roles both within school and within the local community and primary school network. (See Physical Education curriculum link for more information).
“I applied for a position on the Student Leadership Team due to the gain to both the school and to myself. As Deputy Dead Boy, I am able to talk about changes within the school and speak out about my opinions on changes or what changes should be put in place. For myself, it is a great opportunity as it shows a level of determination to excel, looking great on a CV as well as a personal statement. I do not regret my application as I feel I am now in a position where I can aid in bettering the school experience for myself and my peers and I’m sure the title will help me in later life and applications.”
Deputy Head Boy – Callum Gunning
Our school ethos encourages all students to work together to enhance their learning experience and provides many opportunities for student leadership. Student panels form a key element of our recruitment processes. Students gain valuable skills through involvement in interview panels, conducting visitor tours of the school and meeting and greeting parents at school events. They also play a key role in our Year 6/7 transition programme. Our Sports Leaders run Sports Clubs and sporting events for Primary Schools.
New in 2018 was the introduction of ‘Speak Up!’ a new debating society. We hope to see the debating society grow from strength to strength as we hold our termly Inter-House debating competitions.
Key Stage 4 students also have the opportunity to apply for a Prefect position which allows them to undertake further leadership roles, including weekly duties and peer reading. These students are outstanding ambassadors for Ridgeway Academy and provide excellent role models for younger students.
“I decided to run in the Student Leadership Team process as I hoped to support others in the same way as I have been supported throughout my years at this school. Throughout my time I have had many roles of responsibility from being a Prefect in Year 10 to being a House Captain. I have developed skills which I believe I can improve while carrying out my role, while also giving back to the school. I had many ideas about how the school environment could be enhanced and improved and intended to promote Student Voice; I would like to strengthen the voice of form representatives across all year groups and wanted to inspire change and courage.”
Deputy Head Girl – Tara Adenubi
