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 applied for the Head Girl position as I wanted to be a positive role model for younger students. I have been at Ridgeway since Year 7 during which I have watched the school develop and grow immensely and I feel it has shaped me into the person I am today. This responsibility has allowed me to give back to the small community, using the position to bring a voice to the school body.” Head Girl – Mieka Broadwood D’souza 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 Ridgeway Academy’s Head Boy position because I wanted the opportunity to use my experiences and caring attitude to try and make the school a better place for all students, no matter what their previous experiences in life. Over the years I believe Ridgeway Academy has formed me into who I am today and I’m grateful for this. I see my position of Head Boy as an opportunity to give back to the community of Ridgeway Academy. I will use my role as an opportunity to let everyone have a voice in school and to make sure that everyone gets the best experience here at Ridgeway, this will allow students to achieve their very best and to grow and flourish into the best possible version of themselves. It’s an absolute privilege to be Ridgeway Academy’s Head Boy and I can’t wait to see what we can all achieve together.“ Head Boy – Tom Savage 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’m Jamie, Deputy Head Boy for Ridgeway Academy. I aspire to achieve at this great school where everyone is part of the Ridgeway community. When I eventually move on from Ridgeway Academy I will look to study Sports Injury therapy as a degree level Apprenticeship to further my career into sport. I decided to apply for the position as of Deputy Head Boy as I believe that I can voice students’ opinions and create a strong community at Ridgeway Academy, where everyone feels as though they are able to speak freely and have their opinions heard. The Deputy Head Boy role has allowed me to share the great experiences I have had at Ridgeway Academy and try and help the lower school have the same experiences.“ Deputy Head Boy – Jamie Rodway 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 applied for the position of Deputy Head Girl because I wanted to be a figure that students could look up to. Throughout my last 7 years at Ridgeway Academy, I have found myself to be a more confident and better version of myself and I hope that I can help other people feel the same. In my role, I hope to allow students to feel comfortable in expressing their voice as well as ensuring everybody feels they have the same opportunities and are equally heard. I am very grateful to be a part of the Student Leadership Team this year and am looking forward to seeing the positive impact we can make.” Deputy Head Girl – Millie Singleton
