“The Union of Venture Students is a unique model of pupil voice that gives the overwhelming majority of students in the academy the feeling that they have genuine impact on academy life. It promotes the British values of democracy and leadership and encourages active participation to an outstanding level.”
The Union of
Venture Students
“Students regularly volunteer to contribute to the academy by acting as prefects and sports leaders.”
We have developed an innovative Student Leadership structure at the Academy with a university style Student Union overseeing every aspect of student life. There are opportunities for students of all ages to get involved in the Union and make a difference. At the head of this Union is the Union Executive Board which is made up of senior year students.
The Union of Venture Students has a calendar year cycle, to inspire the future generation of young leaders. Each year the students pick aspects of the academy they would like to develop and have a targeted focus to create a positive school experience for every student each and every day. The Union is divided into sub sections such as, Prefects, Media team, Guilds and Societies, Student Support, College Clash, Community and Culture and Learning Gurus. Each category of the Union is led by a member of senior year and works with students from all year groups.
Investors in Puplis Award
The Union were able to achieve the ‘Investors in Pupils’ Quality Mark, a nationally recognised mark awarded to schools and Academies that demonstrate a student-centred approach. This year the students will be looking to extend this student-centred approach through new initiatives led by the students such as Union Guilds and Societies, and a student cantered Eco team.
Eco Schools Award
Being environmentally friendly is a hot topic with our students and they strive to improve aspects of the academy to become more environmentally friendly. The Union have achieve the Bronze and Silver Eco Schools award and participate in regular local litter picks, tree planting and re-wilding projects.
Guilds
Guild Activities are where students get to select to partake in a four-week mini course, in an area of study that interests them. Some are run by staff, some by community members and some by students. The purpose is to allow students to develop a love of learning and have an opportunity to study areas that maybe the curriculum doesn’t allow us to offer such as Military Cadets, Boxing, Astronomy, Genealogy, Bushcraft, Generation Cafe and much much more. There will be three Guild Sessions in each year so students can take 3 separate guilds or enrol in a yearlong course such as Duke of Edinburgh or Titan. We always welcome anyone who might be able to volunteer and help run or support guilds.
Media
The Venture Vibe radio station is broadcasted at break and lunch time around the academy. As well as playing music it also plays a host of teacher interviews, local sport reports and updates students on any upcoming events.
College Clash
There is a fun competitive spirit that permeates through the academy involving our four colleges, Innovate, Create, Achieve and Aspire. Each half term students will vote and suggest on a variety of extracurricular events that students win points for their college. We have had competitions’ such as Pizza eating contest, art and design events, debating competitions, Matholympics, sports events and many many more. The winning college at the end of each term gets to vote on a winners experience such as a movie afternoon, Easter egg hunt, or sundaes in the sun
Prefects
The prefects at the academy enhance lunch time activities introducing games on the playground, handing out reward cards and passes for positive behaviour, as well as assisting with developing our rewards policy.
Learning Partners
Students hack the curriculum to work with staff and fellow students to discuss the best learning methods and styles for our CASH and RE curriculum. The students are passionate about these topics and the influence that this has on their life experiences inside and outside of the curriculum. So much so that as a Union they stated they wanted more ownership of student lead lessons.
Student Support
Students have developed a peer to peer support system including Young ambassador and Diana award training. Students attend drop in sessions to help and support with student concerns as well as working with staff to ensure student wellbeing within the academy.
Community and Culture
Students pick three major fundraising events to trarget each year which are on a national scale, as well as supporting local charities in our community that may help local people, alumni students or for general good causes.
Roles of Responsibility
There are hundreds of roles of responsibility that students in every year can get involved in from prefects to shop assistants, from reporters to sports leaders and so much more.
If you don’t want to take on a role of responsibility and get involved, that doesn’t mean your voice isn’t important and there are a wide range of ways to get it heard. You can speak to your PL tutors, attend a Union drop in session, submit a suggestion to the Union Suggestion Box or use the Diary Room. We are really proud of our Diary Room as it gives students the opportunity to share their views on a number of different issues. Once they enter our Diary Room, they have 45 seconds to share their views.
Impact
The whole point of the union is for the students to have an impact on their own learning environment. This includes having a budget to spend on academy improvement, deciding what guilds and societies will run, selecting charities to fundraise for and then making as much money as possible and perhaps most importantly creating a whole academy of role models.
