‘Timi Champions’ invited to Houses of Parliament to learn more about governance
Young leaders from primary schools across the capital travelled to Parliament on Wednesday to learn more about governance and leadership.
Students from Judith Kerr Primary School, in Half Moon Lane, North Dulwich and St Mark’s Church of England Academy, Acacia Road, Mitcham, as well as Gladstone Park Primary School in Brent and Abacus Belsize Primary School in Camden – all part of Anthem Schools Trust – attended the event.
The student leaders enjoyed a guided tour and workshops on how to deliver an eloquent speech, led by The Speakers Trust.
Beatrix, who is in Year 5 at Judith Kerr Primary School, said: “It was a day full of learning. I was surprised that Parliament wasn’t more modern.
“I found it interesting to learn about votes for women.”
These student leaders who attended Parliament are called “Timi Champions” within Anthem Schools Trust. They all sit on the governing bodies of their schools, which are known as Anthem Community Councils.
Anthem Schools Trust implemented their new student governance scheme this academic year, appointing two pupils to the governing bodies in all of its 16 schools.
The Timi Champion scheme was set up by the trust after the trust chief executive officer, Mohsen Ojja, was asked by Timi, a Year 10 student at St Marks’ Church of England Academy, why students were not represented on schools’ governing bodies.
Challenged by this question, to which he did not have an answer, Mr Ojja and his senior team appointed two students to all 16 of the trust’s school’s governing bodies and called them Timi Champions.
Mr Ojja, chief executive officer of Anthem School Trust, said: “The decisions we make in our trust are now enriched by the insights and perspectives of our Timi Champions who have been selected by their peers to represent their respective student bodies.
“It has been a pleasure to meet them all on this special day and discuss their vision for the future.”
Pictured top: Zayzay (left) with another Year 6 pupil from Abacus Belsize Primary School in Camden on a Westminster bench (Picture: Anthem Schools Trust)
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