Student Leadership
Hollyfield offers students a wide range of opportunities to take up leadership roles within the school.
Our Head Students and Deputy Head Students are four members of Year 12 who are selected by a school wide vote during the first half term of the academic year. It is a very prestigious position and one that entails a number of additional responsibilities, which include leading the student council as well as being representatives of the school on key occasions, such as Open Evening, Remembrance Day and at the Y7 and 8 Pride in Learning events. Sixth form mentors also help out in departments throughout the school, offering support and guidance to younger students, including help with their reading.
In Year 7 to 10, two students from each tutor group are selected to join our Student Council meetings. These meetings are chaired by our Head Students and Deputy Head Students, each of whom leads a discussion with council members from a particular year group. The discussion items for each meeting are suggested by the Headteacher and they focus on key areas of school development. The Head Students report back to SLT after each meeting, where the council’s feedback is taken on board and we agree actions moving forward. These actions are shared with the student body in House or Whole School Assemblies, presented by the Head Students.
Student working parties help us to set up, lead and reflect on new initiatives at Hollyfield. An example of this is the Culture Day Working Party, composed of 30 students from Years 7 to 13, who helped the Deputy Headteacher to launch Hollyfield’s first Culture Day in April 2025, at the request of the Student Council. Culture Day is now a firm fixture in the school calendar.
Student ambassadors from every year group help us with key events like Open Evening and Open Day Tours, as well as Parents’ Evenings and training sessions. They guide parents/carers and visitors around the school, sharing their thoughts on what makes Hollyfield special. This year, students applied for this role through a Google Form, which means that every ambassador has chosen to take on the challenge. We also send students back to their former primary schools for key events, like their sports days and careers fairs, and in the summer term, Hollyfield students welcome young people from overseas and apply to be ‘buddies’, offering one to one support. We also often include student panels for interviews at Hollyfield. We are always eager to hear our students’ thoughts and we value their opinions