Headline
SSAT empowers school students to become tomorrow’s leaders with IMPACT
Summary
SSAT, the UK’s biggest and most experienced student leadership training provider, is proud to announce the launch of its new support package for schools – a comprehensive range of training to empower school students to become tomorrow’s leaders with IMPACT.
Main body
SSAT, a leading innovator in education, is proud to announce the launch of its new student leadership training –‘Student leadership for IMPACT.’
SSAT are the UK’s biggest and most experienced provider of student leadership training and support for education providers, with over thirty years of experience helping settings build the capacity and capabilities of their student leaders.
Based on their analysis of research into student voice and leadership, SSAT has now enhanced the way in which they want schools to consider the impact of leadership, in line with the views of students.
Dr Keven Bartle, Senior Education Lead at SSAT said:
“Our work at SSAT reflects the focus of young people on team-building competencies: the knowledge, skills and abilities underpinning relational activity towards common goals. We have connected this work to the democratic impulse of students and the importance of them in working towards the things that matter to them, the social returns from leading within schools. These core competencies are what help empower children in any leadership roles they undertake in the future.”
SSAT have identified six attributes of student leadership that they believe make a difference. SSAT suggests that effective student leadership encompasses:
- Impactful through setting goals, achieving success, and enhancing equality
- Modelled through leading by example, taking responsibility, and showing independence
- Professional through working with others, seeing perspectives, and making decisions
- Aligned through sharing values, upholding standards, and strengthening teamwork
- Contextual through focusing on community, responding to needs, and solving problems
- Thoughtful through appreciating others, managing feedback, and thinking reflectively.
Drawing from the evidence base, SSAT’s work therefore also supports the school staff who are facilitating student leadership in four dimensions:
- Conception of student leadership work through strategic intent and agreed principles
- Consideration of student leadership work through resourcing and ways of working
- Connection of student leadership work through communication with staff, peers and families
- Contribution of student leadership work through measuring impact, culture and access.
SSAT’s work to support student leadership aligns with these six attributes and four dimensions, enabling schools to be responsive to what individual schools and student leaders need.
Dr Keven Bartle, Senior Education Lead at SSAT said:
“Our aim in our new student leadership package is to see empowerment as a process and not a goal. I believe that if headteachers are very clear with students about what they can and cannot shape in the school, that students will be grateful for the clarity and feel more empowered, not less, for knowing where they stand.”
Through webinars for school staff, facilitating their student leadership work, alongside bespoke training for students, SSAT want to help educators to increase the impact of their work in this crucial area.
As part of their comprehensive student leadership offer, SSAT can also help schools to recognise the impact of student leaders through their unrivalled accreditation process.
Sue Williamson, Chief Executive at SSAT said:
“Student voice and leadership matters. When educators provide the right support for student leadership, it helps children and young people have an impact on themselves, others around them, their schools, and their futures. This programme, linked with the academic work of a school, will equip students to the next stage of education and work.”
You can find out more about SSAT’s impactful new student leadership support packages on SSAT’s website here.
Dr Keven Bartle has also written a series of blogs around student leadership:
Blog 1 – Student Leadership: A more nuanced approach to participation and empowerment – SSAT
Blog 2 – Student Leadership for IMPACT: An invitation to find out more about SSAT’s work – SSAT
Blog 3 – Student Leadership for IMPACT: Taking lessons from research into our practice – SSAT
ENDS
For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact
✉️Press contact: press@ssatuk.co.uk
📞 Press: +44(0)20 7802 2300
🌐Website: ssatuk.co.uk
About SSAT
SSAT is a membership organisation, bringing together schools and academies from across the UK and globally committed to achieving deep social justice. We offer insight and understanding into school practice and educational policy and research. Our professional development and school improvement programmes help leaders and teachers to further outcomes for all young people and develop leadership at all levels across the system.
We do this by providing a framework for exceptional education focused on teaching and learning, professional practice and leadership. This framework is underpinned by a commitment to social justice; our belief that every young person should go on to lead successful and fulfilling lives.
