Change Makers

This theme focuses on the empowerment of students throughout their school journey and beyond. We believe that by building confidence, amplifying student voice and fostering a culture of collaboration, we give our students the best possible opportunities to thrive in life after school.

The Change Makers theme aims to: 

  • Develop confidence and agency
  • Encourage curiosity and taking initiative
  • Help students to engage with issues important to their futures
  • Develop a sense of social responsibility
  • Build collaboration and teamwork skills
  • Provide students with the skills to organise and advocate for themselves and others

Change Makers sits at the core of CEP values and is a critical theme. By empowering young people to engage confidently with their surroundings, we prepare them for the realities of life after school. As employers continue to search for more sophisticated social skills in the future workforce it is more important than ever to provide young people with the personal skills to succeed. This theme also emphasises the need for a loud and informed student voice as the views of the next generation are critical to the present and the future. Students should be able to speak confidently on issues that are important to them and then have the skills to commit to well organised action.

Some of the methods we use to achieve the aims of this theme include:

  • Providing public showcase opportunities for student work
  • Encouraging mixed working between our school sectors to build confidence
  • Bringing in inspiring speakers and facilitators to support students
  • Proving safe spaces for students to be heard on issues that matter to them

Examples of Change Makers in action:

Changemakers

Changemakers is a cornerstone programme of CEP and is in its 5th year. The purpose of the programme is to provide students with the tools they need to improve sustainability in their schools and local communities

This year’s project saw our young people working in school teams to develop long-term sustainability projects in their schools. The teams used Mission-based learning (a project-focused pedagogical approach) to take ownership of their projects and develop the structures around them. At the end of the year, students presented their projects at the Wilson Art Gallery in Cheltenham, giving the public a chance to see the results of their work.

Previous year’s projects have involved showcases at Cheltenham Science Festival and building sustainability toolkits with the University of Gloucestershire.

 For 2024/25, our Changemakers will embark on Project Legacy, a funded opportunity to continue their work in school and to take their learning into primary schools, where they will help to form the next generation of climate conscious youth.

Spill The Tea: Podcast

Tea is a unique student-led podcast hosted by a collaborative team of students from across CEP schools and colleges. Students ask the questions and encourage our guests to bare all and ‘spill the tea’.

We are joined by exciting stars and inspirational professionals that have signed up to reveal their best kept secrets and discuss what the path to their success was really like. This podcast is brought to you by Cheltenham Education Partnership with hosts All Saints’ Academy.