Our school voice

School Council

Subject Representatives and Ambassadors

Breaktime Buddies (Years 3, 4 and 6)

Peer Mediators (Year 5)

Pupil Leadership

At Hillcrest Academy we believe that nurturing strong pupil leaders is an important aspect of school life. We believe that these roles help to shape character, form good British Citizens and spark a light of leadership. Our pupils are eager to take on leadership roles in our Academy and enjoy our democratic process of this. Within Hillcrest Academy we have: School Council, Subject Representatives and Ambassadors, Eco Warriors, Breaktime Buddies and Peer Mediators. We are very proud of our pupil leadership team!

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Act as an ambassador for the school
  • Plan, organise and promote events (including fundraising)
  • Represent peers and be their voice
  • Work alongside the Senior Leadership Team to continue to improve our school
  • Help the governors to make decisions on behalf of the pupils
  • Meet regularly to feedback
  • Ensure we continue to be a Eco-School
  • Help create a dining experience that is smooth and enjoyable for all
  • Be responsive to conflict in all aspects

At Hillcrest Academy we are very proud of our School Council, of which the pupils apply and vote for new members each year. The team meet at least once a half term to discuss any issues raised in classes, focus on events coming up in school and set actions to take back to class.

As part of our Pupil Leadership, we have a very strong representation of Subject Representatives and Ambassadors. These pupils are selected by their teachers as ‘always’ children; they always work hard, are always kind and are always good role models. They work alongside our subject leaders (teachers) to help improve our Outstanding curriculum and plan any exciting days linked to the subject they represent. We also have students who represent an area of the school we feel strongly about, such as wellbeing and eco schools. These pupils work with a teacher to ensure these areas of school are the very best for our wonderful students.

As a school we take pride in our student leadership, one of our strengths is our fantastic Breaktime Buddy initiative. Pupils from Year 3, 5 and 6 are selected by their teachers for always being good role-models, great British Citizens and having positive attitudes. During their lunchtime they identify pupils who may need a buddy and play with them, they help run active playtime games and they help with any jobs in the lunch hall to keep our dining and playing experience smooth and enjoyable for everyone! Students proudly wear a Hi-Vis jacket and a shiny badge to let everyone know who they are.

Our Peer Mediation program is something we feel thrilled to offer at Hillcrest Academy. We work alongside CRESST to deliver training and ensure that our Peer Mediators are confident, well-rounded pupils. We understand that conflict is an inevitable part of life; our Peer Mediators may not reduce conflict, but by managing conflict well we can reduce the hurt that it causes. Our Peer Mediators also help the pupils to understand the deeper meaning of the conflict, build greater tolerance and develop more creative outcomes to their conflict. The pupils wear Hi-Vis jackets so they can be spotted at lunchtime to help with any child younger than them who is facing conflict. They also help our team inside to ensure the dining experience is positive for all. Our Peer Mediators are carefully selected at the end of Year 4 after an application process, they then receive full training ready for their new venture in Year 5.