Student Leaders Gather for Education South West Leadership Conference

More than 40 student leaders from across Education South West (ESW) schools came together for a Student Leadership Conference hosted at King Edward VI Community College (KEVICC) in Totnes this term. Students from KEVICC, Teign School, Coombeshead Academy, Kingsbridge Community College and Dartmouth Academy attended the event.

The event brought together 42 student leaders from year 7 through to year 13, providing an opportunity for young people from different schools to share ideas, develop leadership skills and discuss how student leadership can have a stronger impact in their schools.

The conference featured a range of speakers with experience in leadership. Although Caroline Voaden, MP for South Devon, was unable to attend in person, she delivered a comprehensive video message reflecting on her career in leadership and the lessons she has learned along the way.

Other speakers included Matthew Shanks, ESW CEO and Tom Pether, Sustainability Lead for Education South West, who shared their perspectives on leadership, responsibility and the importance of student voice.

Students from each school also delivered presentations explaining how student leadership operates within their own communities and the positive impact it has on school life.

Following the presentations, students worked in mixed-school groups to explore key questions about leadership, including how schools can make student leadership more impactful and effective, what personal qualities make a strong leader, and what advice they would offer to primary school pupils who aspire to become leaders in the future.

The discussions generated a number of common themes, including raising the profile of student leadership across schools,  increasing student involvement in decision making and creating more opportunities for younger pupils to develop leadership skills.

Students also expressed enthusiasm for more opportunities to connect with fellow student leaders across schools during the year. Plans are now being explored to support this through regular online meetings and collaborative initiatives.

The conference highlighted the growing importance of student voice across Education South West schools and reinforced the trust’s commitment to developing confident, thoughtful young leaders who can make a positive contribution to their communities.

Matthew Shanks, CEO of Education South West, said: “It was inspiring to see so many young people from across our schools come together to share ideas and learn from one another. Student leadership plays a vital role in shaping positive school communities, and events like this give students the confidence and platform to have their voices heard. The passion and thoughtfulness shown by the students at the conference demonstrates just how important their contributions are to the future of our schools.”