Student Leadership Policy

Student Leadership

POLICY

Revised and updated on September 2023

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PURPOSE To provide students with real opportunities to lead and as a result develop a range of skills and qualities that will help them advance and grow as individuals.

Specifically, the TCSI student leadership policy aims to: ● Have in place a wide range of opportunities for students to develop and practice leadership skills in preparation for life beyond school. ● Ensure that all students are enabled to make the most of the opportunities offered and that these opportunities are available to all students equally. ● Ensure that students are well supported and developed in order to be successful in their leadership roles. ● Ensure all students gain leadership skills by taking on roles of responsibility by involvement in a variety of aspects of school life.

This policy applies to all TCSI students BENEFITS TO STUDENTS Leadership opportunities and roles provide a variety of benefits and areas for growth for those students involved, these include: ● The opportunity to be heard and be actively involved in school improvement and initiatives. ● The opportunity to ‘give back’ to the school community. ● The opportunity to stretch and challenge themselves outside of the classroom. ● The opportunity to develop new skills and personal qualities. ● The opportunity to work with, and lead a team. ● To work in partnership with adults. ● To take responsibility and to hold others accountable.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN A STUDENT LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME Selection We work hard to ensure that all students are enabled to make the most of the opportunities offered and that these opportunities are available to all students equally, with no bias or discrimination. We want all students to gain leadership skills by taking on roles of responsibility by planning, Revised and updated on September 2023

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managing and delivering their own projects.

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Student leadership roles and responsibilities should be clearly communicated and the criteria for selection should be transparent and fair.

Training development and support It is not enough to just appoint student leaders they should be supported and prepared for the roles they carry out. It is the responsibility of TCSI staff to ensure that student leaders have access to support, advice and guidance from teachers, and school leaders, in order to carry out their roles effectively and develop as student leaders.

This support and guidance should include areas such as the following: ● Regular contact with key members of staff. ● Access to the school’s senior leaders. ● Support in leading teams and holding others accountable. ● Guidance and advice in key leadership skills including: o Communication skills o o o o o o o o

Decision making skills Organizational skills Action planning Strategic thinking Risk management Resiliency Collaboration Emotional intelligence

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENT LEADERS We believe that having effective student leaders supports the development of responsible behaviours, a positive school tone and encourages students to model school values such as respect, responsibility, resilience, professionalism and excellence.

Student leaders should be a role model for all students in the school. Carrying out a leadership role comes with high expectations of students. These include: ● To display a high standard of behaviour at all times. ● To demonstrate the values of respect, trust and honesty. ● To be polite, mature, responsible and reliable at all times. ● To demonstrate care and friendship to all members of the school Revised and updated on September 2023

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community. ● To display a positive attitude to learning. ● To demonstrate pride in our school.

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Other qualities expected of student leaders include: ● To like working with and talking to younger students. ● To be able to build good working relationships with both students and staff. ● To work well in a team. ● To have good time management skills. ● ● ● ● ●

To have the ability to organize their own time.

To meet deadlines.

To be proactive and use initiative to achieve outcomes.

The ability to work hard and take on responsibility.

The ability to effectively communicate with students, teachers, school leaders and parents.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP AND STUDENT VOICE Student leadership without student voice is not effective. Student voice is important in student leadership programme in two ways. Firstly, those students holding positions of leadership should be able to speak openly to key members of staff in the school in order to discuss ideas and strategies they would like to initiate.Secondly, student leadership programmes should include a student voice structure that reaches all students in the student body. In this way student leaders represent the student body as well as carry out key roles in the school. This in turn provides the student leaders with credibility and students with representation.

Student voice acknowledges that students have unique perspectives on learning, teaching, and schooling, and should have the opportunity to actively shape their own education. Student voice is students actively participating in the school community and the education system, contributing to decision making processes and collectively influencing outcomes by putting forward their views, concerns and ideas. Student voice allows students to engage, participate, lead and learn.

Students are encouraged to propose different formal student leadership roles with a variety of responsibilities across the school. These positions provide students with opportunities to develop confidence and independence to experience risk-taking in a supported environment.

When students actively participate in school life, and their ideas and opinions are listened to and valued, they feel respected and encouraged to make further contributions. This leads to: ● Increased communication skills. ● Improved academic performance for students involved.

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Greater commitment to the school from the wider student body.

Positive influences on the climate of the school.

Strengthened school spirit.

Increased cooperation from students.

Most effective student involvement arises when we have a commitment to developing both student voice and student engagement in our school.

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