Last week saw our Global Ambassadors host our 2nd annual ‘For Students By Students’ conference at the University of Northampton, bringing together schools from across the town to discuss major issues affecting society today. Following on from last year’s topic of county lines, the students voted that this year’s subject matter should focus on harmful sexual behaviours.

Lead by our Head Boy, Jack B and Director of Sixth Form, Mr Chris George, our ambassadors drew together a timetable featuring leading guest speakers from charities, the police force and the judicial system. Each speaker presented from a different thought provoking viewpoint, before the students were given tasks to consolidate their learning and to open up further discussion within their groups.

Our speakers included Laura Knott from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, Michael Conroy from Men At Work, PC Jamie Cooper from Northamptonshire Police, HH Judge Crane and Jacqui Kilburn from Women’s Aid. We are incredibly grateful for all of our attending guests who brought with them a wealth of experience and advice addressing issues such as understanding healthy relationships, expectations that are placed on both men and women, sexual offences and their consequences from a legal stand point as well as domestic abuse and its effects.

The students finished the day by creating their own poster project summing up their key learns or issues that they felt needed further focus from what they had heard. As with last year where their findings made their way to the Houses of Parliament and discussed by Andrew Lewer MP, our hope is to replicate this again. The day was rounded up by HM Deputy Lord-Lieutenant, Mrs Suzy Van Rooyen who kindly joined us for her closing speech, emphasising the importance of the discussions taking place.

As part of our mission to spread the message from the students far and wide, we are also delighted to announce that we have successfully made it through to the final round, (being 1 of only 8 schools selected) of the prestigious Goldsmith’s Community Engagement Awards. The awards were set up to acknowledge and celebrate work carried out by school children to support their communities.

Thank you to all of the schools and speakers who joined us at this year’s For Students By Students conference and pushed important topics to the forefront of discussions with the aim of educating and making a real difference. Thank you also to our sponsors of the event whose donations made the day possible:

University of Northampton

Bond Capital Finance

Portman Finance

Brandprint UK Limited

Northamptonshire Police Fire and Crime Commissioner

Ms Davies (QHS parent)