Student Ministries relaunched to aid a strong student voice
16 May
Student Ministries have been established at Cheltenham Bournside School for a number of years, however, remote learning during Covid made it challenging for students to meet, share ideas and take action.
This year, six groups of students supported by staff, have worked hard to turn this around and to re-establish the six key Student Ministry groups with great success. Students have worked on a series of successful pilot projects and have delivered school-wide student-led assemblies to their peers to raise the profile and vision of each Ministry. They have met with the Senior Leadership Team and have an end-of-year conference planned with the school's Governing Body to consult, celebrate success to-date and to plan future activity.
Mr Kelly, Assistant Headteacher said, "We are really proud of the students taking part in our School Parliament. Each Ministry has raised excellent points with the Senior Leadership Team and wider members of the community. We have celebrated their work so far and have made changes at the school based on this crucial feedback. Students at school have the opportunity to raise key points by sending in their questions to each Ministry. This means students have a clear voice and pathway to raise their points which they know will be answered and raised by each Ministry."
"Creating a strong democracy and student voice is paramount in any school, and we are proud to have such a wonderful set of students leading our School Parliament. Thank you for all their hard work and we look forward to seeing our School Parliament further develop throughout the years to come."
Find out more about each Ministry below:
Community Ministry
Students: Emma Fenton, Luke Halliwell
"Our vision for our Community Ministry is to provide support for everyone, whether they are members of our school community or our wider local community. We'd like to raise awareness of the Community Ministry and run small events and fundraising initiatives. We stand for bringing the school and local community together, with a focus on helping those less fortunate than us. A strong inclusive community is one of the most important aspects of any school and we are proud to say we are working hard to make Bournside the best it can be."
Culture Ministry
Students: Emily Walker, James Adams, Evelyn Hawkins
"Our vision for the Culture Ministry is to promote and create greater cultural opportunities for students throughout their time at Bournside. We want students to have access to, and to take advantage of, as many co-curricular opportunities as possible, both within lessons and outside of the classroom. Our aim is to ensure every student has the chance to take advantage of new opportunities and experiences and express themselves across a wide range of cultural opportunities."
Eco Ministry
Students: Evie Lerwill, Eloise Wilcox, Tom Curneen
"Our vision for the Eco Ministry is to support a green future for Bournside, enabling students to learn and thrive within a pleasant learning environment. We aim to promote an environmentally friendly outlook across the whole school in as many areas as possible; with a series of projects led by students, staff, and our wider local community."
Equality Ministry
Students: Liam Dunnett
"The Equality Ministry is focused on protecting and ensuring equality between all students in our school. We aim to promote a fair school among students, staff and our wider local community, where all students are provided with equal opportunity and are protected from being discriminated against, regardless of their race, gender, sexuality, or any other factor."
Facilities Ministry
Students: Charlotte Audus, Victor Howe
"Our vision for the Facilities Ministry is to help improve the infrastructure of our school site. We strive to help all students and are here to listen to all ideas for improvement in relation to our classrooms, social spaces, and key facilities. It is our mission to make Bournside the best and most comfortable school site, where students can feel relaxed, energised to learn, and can thrive."
Learning Ministry
Students: Max Younge
"We are the Learning Ministry and our vision is to help support every student to empower their lives through learning. Working alongside teaching staff, we work to review our learning processes and the classroom, offering constructive feedback and ideas. We aim to celebrate all of the reasons we love learning at Bournside, whilst offering suggestions as to how we can continuously improve the learning experience for all students."