SWISS Student Leadership

With the support of their teachers students also go back into their own schools and encourage the further development of the school’s student leadership arrangements through the enhanced knowledge, shared practice and new ways of working they have experienced at the events. It also provided the template for “in house” business challenge activities. The opportunity to cascade the benefits is therefore an important part of this approach. Recent comment in the Ofsted report from one of the schools involved: Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education, training or employment.

SWISS was born in 2006 as a direct result of various reports on the lack of aspiration in the area, poor participation and achievement post 16. The result was Suffolk One. Since then the partnership has embraced collaborative working. It is about adding challenge and developing and delivering initiatives which enhance the opportunities available to our young people thereby raising their aspirations and levels of achievement.

Programmes are delivered to students, governors and staff and include:-

• High quality curriculum developments.
• Clearer progression pathways.
• Specific projects and initiatives aimed at young people.
• Targeted provision for those at risk of “dropping out.”
• Leadership in governance 
• Joint staff development opportunities.
• Improved transition arrangements.
• Links with other schools and colleges of all phases.
• More effective and efficient approaches to service delivery.
• Shared staff.
• Developing new and different joint approaches to the provision of services such as ICT, Hard and Soft services and HR.

This year has seen Key stage 3  students from the eight 11-16 schools from MATs, sponsored academies and LA schools, taking part in the following joint activities:-

• Leadership Conference for Year 7.
• Leadership Conference for Year 9.
• Futures 4 Us event for Year 8
• Business Challenge Cup.
• STEM challenge.

• Over 400 students are involved and are introduced to the development of leadership skills, ways in which to develop confidence, resilience; communication and presentation skills, problem solving and working in creative and innovative ways. Real business challenges are set and working with leaders from business and industry the young people understand, become involved and resolve real issues. 
• For example, in the business challenge cup, the teams from each school compete over four challenges involving logistics, customer relations, construction and architecture. These are supported by local companies who present to them real-life scenarios and experiences;
• Some of the other conferences are structured to encourage pupils to work together with peers from other schools, whilst others employ an element of competition;
Schools are encouraged to take part in some activities before the conferences/challenges, to enable more pupils to benefit from the learning and to ensure that the competitors are committed to the events. 

There are costs for supply for the supporting teachers, but most business and commercial speakers and facilitators give their time free. There is also the cost of hiring a space large enough to host the events. Students are treated in the same way as adults would expect to be when attending a conference or training event i.e. good facilities, materials and resources provided, name badges, good presenters etc. Each event run over one day and always on a Friday.

Pupils talk at length of the way in which the challenges raise their confidence, build key skills and provides them with an understanding of the world of work. They also comment that the tasks and activities make them ‘think differently!’ Exposure to quickly developing new relationships and forming working teams helps to build self-esteem and communication skills.