Student Leadership Accreditation

In September 2013 we launched the Student Leadership Accreditation which is an initiative that is supported by SSAT. It is an unfortunate fact that despite girls out performing boys at every academic level, women hold less than 5% of the leadership roles of notable companies.  Of Margaret Alphonsa Ellis it was said that she “shrunk from no new departure, no bold experiment that the times have seemed to call for.” The times are certainly calling for this situation to be addressed. The Student Leadership Accreditation encourages our students to develop the skills needed for leadership and as with other skills, leadership needs to be practised. Alongside their academic results, it allows the students to demonstrate that throughout their journey at Loreto they have progressed holistically. I cannot think of anything more powerful than young women living out the values of Mary Ward in positions of influence in which ever field they choose.

Loreto Grammar school was one of the first schools in the county to implement this programme of student leadership and I have continued to worked extensively with SSAT. We are recognised by SSAT as implementing ‘excellent practice’ and have been asked to support other schools interested in embarking upon the SLA.

After an introductory presentation, the students begin by discussing with their forms the qualities they believe are important in leadership. Older students extend this by discussing the barriers excluding women from leadership roles. The students are able to take complete ownership of the SLA by choosing whether to begin at bronze, silver or gold. They then decide for themselves what evidence they could gather to demonstrate that they have completed each of the ten leadership strands. This decision making develops aspects of independence and resilience. Once the ten strands are evidenced and the supporting statements completed, the students then peer moderate the portfolios. This is truly leadership for the students by the students.

The students are given time to build their portfolio within the Form Period programme and they will continue to develop their leadership skills throughout their time at Loreto.  

Any student that achieves the gold standard is invited to become as SLA Ambassador. This role will allow them to extend their own leadership skills whilst supporting other students.

Unfortunately, during the Covid 19 pandemic, it has not been possible for students to complete their SLA portfolios. However, we are looking forward to a point hopefully in the near future when we can focus again on this valuable accreditation.

To allow you to have a fuller understanding of the SLA, I have included a number of relevant SSAT documents.

Mrs Green

April 2021

 

Student Leadership  
CRITERIA FOR SLA.pdf Download
SLA STUDENT GUIDE.pdf Download

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Posted on: 26/09/2023

Loreto Grammar School achieves Eco-Schools Green Flag with Distinction

Loreto Whale, displayed on our fence next to the tennis courts, made from plastic bottle tops to symbolise the dangers of plastic pollution to marine life. An enormous thank you to our students and staff who have worked very hard to promote eco awareness in our school and undertaken so many eco initiatives allowing us to fly the Eco flag. The Eco Schools board reviewed our application and were pleased to highlight the following:- "Achieving our accreditation demonstrates that you have gone above and beyond to improve your local community and protect our planet, if everyone shared the same passion, determination and dedication we're sure the climate crisis would soon be thing of the past. It is very impressive that you have formed such a large Eco-Committee with fantastic adult member support. It shows that young people in your school are aware of environmental issues and are committed to being active and creating positive change. This knowledge and attitude has provided your school with excellent foundations for the many successes achieved through a whole school approach and the fact that the work of your Eco-Committee is valued and respected amongst staff and pupils alike! We loved reading the quotes provided by members of the Eco-Committee which demonstrate that they are impressive individuals who are passionate about improving their local community and protecting our planet. Your Curriculum Link examples are imaginative, practical and fun, making environmental education accessible and engaging, well done! This is a great way to add context to your Eco-Schools work, it means young people at your school are given the opportunity to learn about important environmental issues and then the chance to work on these issues – a great dual approach. This is a great way to add context to your Eco-Schools work, it means young people at your school are given the opportunity to learn about important environmental issues and then the chance to work on these issues – a great dual approach. It was also wonderful to read you had supplemented your environmental learning with a field trip to the Waste Recycling Plant in Sharston to learn about Waste Management– the day sounded brilliant! We absolutely loved seeing the evidence you provided of your completed sessions and planning, all involved should be incredibly proud of their achievements. You have placed a lot of emphasis on informing as many members of your school community as possible in your Eco- Schools work and this is a strength of your application. You have made significant efforts to involve all pupils and your wider school community, maximising the impacts of your Eco-Schools work and benefitting your local area and our planet. Your greatest successes link clearly to the experience of your pupils. It is great that you were able to greatly improve school-wide efforts with recycling. This is what the best forms of climate action are about – impactful but achievable things that create a positive experience and prompt more action. We love this! Managing and resourcing changes is a common and big challenge to face, especially when actively trying to involve your local community! Your actions have faced this challenge and made brilliant choices to adapt to them. SMART choices and a committed Eco- Committee have overcome any obstacles and you should be proud of your achievements this year. We love your collaborative approach to creating an Eco-Code pledge, this approach has allowed your Eco-Committee to take ownership and create a final code that will be treasured by everyone at your school. Your Eco-Code is a fantastic call to action for all who read it. It’s a great reflection of the ethos your Eco-Committee have created. Overall, this is a terrific application. Everyone at Loreto Grammar School should be proud of the Green Team and the amazing and inspiring work that they’ve delivered this year. You’re more than worthy of your Eco-Schools Green Flag with Distinction. Congratulations!" This award demonstrates our continuing Eco journey as we strive to live out Pope Francis’ message of “Laudate Si” (praise be to you), the Loreto Sisters seven year action plan (2021-2028) on “Care for our Common Home” and our own school response to climate change. We look forward to 2023-24 with hope and commitment.Read More

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