Student Leadership

Student Leadership at Highbury Grove

Student Leadership at Highbury Grove is central to shaping the culture, ethos, and everyday life of our school. Through a variety of initiatives, student leaders collaborate with staff and external partners to represent student voice, promote wellbeing, and drive meaningful improvements across the school community. Our aim is to create opportunities for students to work towards shared goals, ensuring their voices are not only heard, but valued. By engaging in inspiring and challenging projects aligned with our core values—Be Kind, Courageous, Ambitious, Successful, and Safe—students develop leadership skills that build confidence and foster growth. These projects enrich learning, teaching, and wellbeing for everyone at COLAHG, while preparing students for Higher Education and equipping them with the skills and mindset needed to achieve personal and professional excellence.

Student Leadership Structure

Sixth Form Prefects

Our Sixth Form Prefects play a leading role in student leadership across the school. They organise charity and social events, support whole-school initiatives, and assist with key occasions such as Open Evenings and transition events. As role models for younger students, Prefects promote high standards, inclusion, and a strong sense of community throughout Highbury Grove. They also deliver assemblies on important topics, offering a relatable perspective, and actively contribute to shaping the school experience for all. Additionally, Prefects support Key Stage 3 and 4 students during lessons, volunteering in subjects such as Maths and English to help those who find these areas challenging.

Pond Committee and Sustainability

The Pond Committee brings student leaders together to improve and care for the school’s outdoor pond area. This group focuses on tidying, gardening and developing the space into a more welcoming and sustainable environment. Through this work, students actively promote environmental responsibility, teamwork and pride in the school grounds. While the pond area has a long way to come, the Student Leadership team are actively working to create a serene and aesthetic environment.

Student Wellbeing Councillors

Our new initiative – Student Wellbeing Councillors are beginning to play an increasingly important role in supporting mental health and wellbeing at Highbury Grove. Working in partnership with the NHS and the School Wellbeing Service, our older students help to lead initiatives that raise awareness, reduce stigma and ensure student voices are central to wellbeing provision across the school. Through organising safe spaces, and talking with students with exam stress, their job is to ensure that students feel heard and have someone they can talk to in their age bracket.

The Highbury Grove Podcast

The Highbury Grove Podcast provides students with a platform to share their opinions, discuss important topics and explore ideas that help shape the school’s ethos. Led by student leaders from Year 7 – Year 13, the podcast encourages open discussion, creativity and respectful debate, ensuring that student perspectives remain at the heart of school improvement. This is then played during Tutor Time, with two episodes each half-term, alongside reflective questions for students to answer.