Student Leadership
Students at The Ravensbourne School share a strong sense of community cohesion and social responsibility.
Student Leadership aims to provide co-curricular opportunities created by our students, for our students and run by our students.
We recognise learning is by no means limited to the classroom and Student Leadership opportunities work; within the school community, alongside a variety of external organisations and amongst the Bromley Borough. Students may apply to join our Key Stage 3 Prefect Team in Year 8 and our Senior Prefect Team for Post 16. With regular meetings, our Prefect Teams discuss and reflect upon a continual array of opportunities to support progress, develop skill sets and integrate Ravensbourne’s role within the borough.
What we do and why we do it
Our Student Leadership Team understands their education in terms of a social contract- they receive an education and in return contribute to the schools wider aims and objectives. Our ever-increasing array of Co-curricular activities aims to support the student body with Peer-to–Peer academic and pastoral support. Students may receive Safeguarding training and come to work closely with staff, liaising, creating and communicating to ensure all our students gain the best access to opportunity.
The possibilities are endless, any students within the school, prefect team or otherwise, is welcome to attend meetings and suggest initiatives and ventures. We are open and accommodating to new ideas and interests – if you cannot see something you are interested in - then create it.
Student Leadership aims to equip our students with a range of additional skills they may be able to utilise in their next steps - post Ravensbourne. In an ever-competitive market, Student Leadership offers opportunity to step out from the crowd.
Student Roles
Head Students and Deputy Head Students
These students have been chosen due to their innovative ideas, hard work and their passion shown through the role in the interview process and throughout their school life. Our Head and Deputy Head Students will lead the running of all student leadership activities and events.
Peer Court Prefects
Peer Court continues to prove a successful strategy in engaging our students with the responsibility to oversee and support their own student body. Peer Court Senior Prefects are responsible for setting up regular Peer Court sessions across all year groups, where individuals may discuss issues within the school in a safe and supportive environment. Between them, they may build a tailored programme of support to ensure individuals may continue to access their education whilst taking responsibility for their learning and actions within the classroom. Our Peer Court Seniors liaise with Pastoral and teaching staff and ensure they follow up on cases until they find satisfactory conclusions.
Behaviour Mentoring Prefects
The role of the Behaviour Mentor is to act as a guide and an advocate for their mentee in any issues they may have in terms of their behaviour in and outside the classroom, meeting with them on a regular basis and where necessary, liaising with appropriate staff to communicate avenues of support. In recent years, we have seen students who benefitted as a mentee in their earlier years return to the scheme as a mentor in order to ‘give-back’ to the programme. Mentoring supports students with a wide range of issues, from transition to friendship, from attendance to organisation- everyone may benefit from a little extra support at times.
Big Brother Big Sister Prefects
BBBS (Big Brother Big Sister) offers before school, break-time and lunch-time drop-in sessions for students who may wish to take time out from the daily hubbub of the school day. Students meet like-minded peers in the Wellbeing Lounge where they may play games and feel some respite. Post 16 Senior Prefects are on hand to listen to any issues that may arise and offer support along with relating any relevant issues to the designated safeguard lead. Big Brother Big Sister Mentors also support and meet allocated students on a weekly basis discussing any issues affecting the student’s mental health and wellbeing.
Parliament Prefects
TRS Parliament engages students across the Key Stages with the democratic process and British Parliamentary Politics, alongside giving a voice to the student body. Students meet frequently to discuss topics such as meaningful reform, public relations, hosting assemblies, representing student voice to name but a few. Whole school elections have become commonplace with TRS annually electing two Youth Councillors to the Bromley Borough.
Peer Education Prefects
Peer Education Prefects work closely with staff to identify students who would benefit from extra academic support. They provide one to one tutoring sessions and will be running a lunchtime homework club to support students with their academic progress.
LGBTQ+ Prefects
LGBTQ+ prefects work to make the school a safe and inclusive space for all students who are a part of the community and to create a sense of allyship amongst the student body. Our prefects will be running drop-in sessions for students wanting to understand and learn more about the LGBTQ+ community. They will also highlight and celebrate important LGBTQ+ dates, running assemblies, creating resources and working with the rest of the team to hold events raising money for LGBTQ+ charities.
Community Prefects
Community prefects work with the school and the wider community to promote a strong image of TRS. This will include taking part and running events for the community, supporting local charities and organisations like Bromley Foodbank, supporting with the Year 6 transition with local primary schools and much more.
Charity Prefects
In 2021-2022, our Student Leadership Team raised over £800 for different charities such as Young Minds and UNICEF. Our Charity prefects are tasked with running events for different charities linked to specific dates celebrated worldwide such as Children’s Mental Health Week, Diversity Week and much more.
PSHE Prefects
Our PSHE prefects will work with our staff PSHE Coordinator to create resources, assemblies, lessons and events aimed at promoting personal, social, health and economic education.
Sport Prefects
Our TRS Sports prefects work with our Sports Captains and PE department to support extra-curricular sport clubs and with sporting events such as in school fixtures, interform competitions and sports day.
Arts Prefects
Our TRS Arts prefects work with our performing and creative arts departments to run and assist with events such as exhibitions and showcases promoting student work, working on wider artistic projects in and outside of school, and the yearly TRS musical.
Student Future Prefects
Student Future prefects support students with their academic futures within and once leaving TRS as well as their future career choices. This will include group workshops, guest speakers and organising and delivering assemblies with the above focus.
Media Prefects
Our Media prefects work behind the scenes to record and create media projects aimed at promoting all the wonderful work of the student leadership team and our TRS students.