Empowering Young Leaders in Schools: Bespoke Training with Together As One
At Together As One, we know that when young people are given the right tools and support, they can transform their schools for the better. In this post, our Training Lead, Rosa Hopkins, shares how we work with schools to design student leadership training that builds confidence, develops key skills, and empowers students to make a lasting impact.
We believe young people have the power to shape and strengthen their school communities. Through meaningful leadership opportunities, students can become role models, peer supporters, and agents of positive change.
We have a long and proud history of delivering high-quality, bespoke student leadership training to schools. Whether you’re launching a new initiative or developing an existing team, we can work with you to equip young leaders with the confidence, skills, and knowledge they need to be effective in their roles.
Student Leadership Roles We Have Supported
Our training has supported a wide range of student leadership roles, including:
- Peer Mentors
- Lower School Leaders
- Student Councils
- Prefects
- Diversity Ambassadors and DEI Prefects
- Anti-Bullying Ambassadors
Every training programme is tailored to the specific needs of your students and school community. Our approach is interactive, engaging, and grounded in the real experiences of young people.
To help us design the most effective training possible, we ask that school staff consider the following areas before we begin.
Planning for Student Leadership Training
In order to shape a programme that delivers real impact, we invite you to reflect on the following:
- Purpose
- What is the overall aim of the training?
- What outcomes are you hoping the young people will achieve?
- Are there specific skills or knowledge you want the group to develop?
- Role Clarity
- What is the defined role of the student leaders?
- Can you provide a clear role description, including:
- Responsibilities
- Frequency, location, and timing of activities
- Key staff or student groups they will work with
The more detailed this information is, the more we can tailor the training to include relevant case studies, scenarios, and examples.
- Delivery Format
We offer a range of delivery models to suit your timetable and needs:
- One-hour sessions delivered over 6–8 weeks (ideal over a half term)
- Two-hour or half-day sessions
- Full-day intensive training
Each option has its benefits. Meeting a group more than once allows us to build relationships, observe group dynamics, and adapt our approach over time. Multiple sessions also create space for reflection between meetings. We understand the challenges of timetabling, especially across year groups, and are happy to work with you to find the best solution. Please also consider the location of the training and ensure that there is enough space for interactive activities. If you opt for a delivery time after school, we find an incentive is effective in driving participation.
- Group size
- How many students do you anticipate being involved?
- Do the young people already have positive associations with each other, or do we need to spend some time building the team?
We find that to have the most impact, a group size of 10 – 20 young people can help us to really get to know, and support a group. We are happy to explore the facilitation of larger groups.
- Recruitment
- How will students be selected for the training?
- Is there an application process or set criteria?
We can support recruitment by delivering assemblies or creating short videos that explain the opportunity and how students can get involved. We strongly believe that participation should be voluntary, and that young people should not be co-opted into leadership opportunities. We can support schools to develop a selection process if necessary.
- Safeguarding
- Who are the key safeguarding contacts at your school?
- Are there any specific policies or messages you would like us to share with students?
We will seek out the relevant safeguarding information from your school website, but welcome any additional guidance or expectations you wish to highlight.
- Supervision and Support
- Who in school will be checking in with the student leaders?
- Is there a designated member of staff they can go to if they need support or advice (outside of the safeguarding team)?
- Will there be regular supervision or mentoring in place?
Please provide any relevant details so we can support students to access the right guidance and support beyond the training sessions. We are open to delivering follow up sessions with students to check progress, and provide further guidance and training.
- Your school’s approach
- What school policies does this training align with?
- Are there any values, mantras, mottos that you would like to be highlighted throughout the training?
Get in touch
If you’re interested in student leadership training for your school, please get in touch with Rosa:
[email protected]