Student Leadership Opportunities

The student voice program at Cliff Park Ormiston Academy aims to give all students a voice in the running of the Academy. Students are able to take up the responsibility of acting as a form representative and attend year group meetings or can take part in one of the groups for social action which look to improve the Academy experience for all. Students in year 11 can stand to be one of our senior students who meet each week with the Principal. Our senior students have a proud track record of bringing about improvements for their peers including, improvements in break and lunch provision, introduction of the Oasis Hub, changes to school uniform policy and introduction of Kindness Ambassadors.

Kindness Ambassadors

We have a team of 60+ year 7 – 11 students who have been trained as Kindness Ambassadors. These ambassadors lead a ‘No Bystanders’ Anti-Bullying initiative across our school community. Ambassadors are deployed to monitor certain areas of the academy where students tell staff that there is an increased risk that bullying may happens. Anti-Bulling ambassadors will wear blue striped tie and are on hand during social times to help and support their peers.

Opportunities to represent the academy at school events

Throughout the year we frequently rely on our students to act as the ‘face of the Cliff Park’ representing the Academy at open evenings, leading visitors and assisting with interviews and external events. Through these experiences, we look to build confidence, raise aspirations and recognise the potential in our students as well as develop a shared vision for Cliff Park Ormiston Academy between staff and students. 

Current groups and activities include:

These groups of students are led by Senior Students who work to deliver activities such as student elections and rewards as well as raising money for charities such as Children In Need and the Disasters and Emergency Committee. 

Each year 2 students are elected by the student body to represent Cliff Park on the OAT East student board to discuss regional and national issues which get fed back into the Academy. 

The Diversity group seeks to support students from diverse backgrounds including LGBTQ+, Students with SEND and students from migrant worker and BME backgrounds. The aim is to influence Academy Policy to ensure inclusivity for all. 

Our Anti-Bullying Ambassadors are in school to offer peer support to students who feel that they are being bullied or who have experienced unkind behaviour from other students. The students work closely with the pastoral and safeguarding team to support students who come forward with worries. 

Our Wellbeing Ambassadors work alongside a specialist youth worker from Ormiston Families to offer support for low-level well-being issues such as friendship breakdowns. The Ambassadors have been trained in basic Mental Health First Aid to be able to signpost peers to appropriate support. They have worked alongside the Anti-Bullying Ambassadors and Mrs Huggins (DSL) to set up The Oasis Hub which offers students a quiet peer-supported space at breaks and lunches. 

Our kindness ambassadors look to improve our community by acts of kindness such as delivering a whole school breakfast for Macmillan Cancer Research and delivering gifts to our needy families at Christmas. 

The Eco-council achieved their second Eco-Schools Green Flag Award in 2023. They are working on improving three areas; improving the school grounds, waste and litter. They have recently planted 15 saplings in the school grounds, have taken part in the national Big Plastic Count, and are working with the Academy site team to build a greenhouse out of recycled plastic bottles. 

Support our Schools Games Organiser with the running and officiating of community and feeder school events. Year 10 students run a transition sports event each year for up to 200 of our new students.

Student Leadership activities are led by Mr Callaby – Senior Head of Year.