On Tuesday 10th June, eleven student leaders from Magna Academy had the opportunity to take part in the annual Empowering Student Voice Conference held at Bournemouth University and organised by the Southern Universities Network (SUN). The day was packed full of inspiring content and our students represented the academy brilliantly throughout.
The event opened with a keynote speech from Becky McDade from the BCP Children’s Rights & Engagement Team. Becky spoke passionately about the many leadership opportunities available to young people across BCP; including the chance to campaign to become a Member of Youth Parliament (a role currently held by former Magna student Ryan Cornish), take part in the Make Your Mark campaign as ambassadors or become a media ambassador to help report on key political and community events in the BCP area. We were proud to see our recent lifesaving campaign (funded through a Make Your Mark grant and winner of the School Council of the Year award for 2024/25) highlighted as a brilliant example of what student leadership can achieve when supported by local initiatives like this.
Students then took part in three engaging workshops across the day. First up was a tour of Bournemouth University’s Student Union, where students explored how the university embeds student voice into its decision-making processes, offering a glimpse of what leadership can look like beyond school. Next was a practical session with the BCP Rights & Engagement Team, who ran a series of fast-paced, team-based challenges designed to build communication and decision-making skills. Finally, the day ended with the Speakers Trust, who delivered an excellent session on public speaking, helping students to develop their confidence, presence and ability to express themselves clearly – vital skills for any student leader.
Our student leaders returned full of ideas and energy, ready to bring even more creativity and initiative back to the Magna Academy Student Leadership Team. The day gave them fresh insight into how student voice can influence not just academy life but the wider community too.
A huge thank you to the Southern Universities Network and all the organisations involved in the day. Finally, a big thank you to our students – you conducted yourselves with maturity, enthusiasm and displayed a genuine interest in making a difference. We’re really proud of the way you represented the academy.
Keep an eye out for the exciting things to come from our student leadership team!
Mr. Ginger