As he reaches the end of his term as student ambassador for Abingdon School in Partnership, Jacob takes a look back over the past year….
“Being the first student ambassador for Abingdon School in Partnership (ASiP) has been an absolute privilege that has allowed me to see first hand the scale of our community’s impact and the sheer expanse our partnership programme covers.
“My primary role was to raise awareness across Abingdon School, collect testimonies from those who had taken part, and to act as a representative during visits and events. It has been a year of witnessing growth, not just in the pupils I worked with and wrote about, but also within myself.
“A significant part of this journey involved the OX14 Learning Partnership student voice meetings, where I met with partnership champions from other local schools. These sessions were vital for sharing experiences and brainstorming on how we could improve the programme. We’ve been moving towards improved communication between all our schools, social media connections, extra signposting and more events from Year 7 up. Over the past year, I – and Isa (one of my peers) have often acted as leads for these meetings and my hope is that the partnership ambassador from Abingdon will continue to play a central role in these meetings.
“The sheer variety of events I attended required a constant, dynamic shift in mindset. Take, for example, the launch of the ASiP Podcast, which was specifically designed to reach parents and the wider community by providing a more accessible platform to discuss the value of the programmes. Or in academic coaching sessions where older students learned to navigate the “coaching conversation”. I watched first hand as these coaches moved away from simply giving answers, instead using active listening and open-ended questions to help younger students find solutions for themselves – a transferable skill invaluable to any professional environment. Another highlight was documenting the Primary Science Club – it was a true lesson in the art of simplification as I watched students explain complex concepts, like air resistance via bin-bag parachutes, to ten year olds without relying on complex jargon. This energy carried over into Topic Mornings, where I documented younger pupils immersing themselves in history through Roman army drills and Victorian murder mysteries, as well as showcasing their budding entrepreneurship during the Primary Business Challenge. Finally, during the ChallengED event at Larkmead, I observed Year 8s tackling complex engineering problems, from building space stations to LEGO elastic-band cars, in an atmosphere where logical thinking and collaborative problem-solving were absolutely palpable.
“While my job was to report on how these events helped others, the process of observing, documenting and presenting them helped me as well. Before this role, entering a room full of strangers often felt like a “social endurance event”. However, through taking part in Peer Support Lead (PSL) training and acting as an ambassador, I learned that confidence is a learned skill. I developed the ability to navigate social barriers, build rapport quickly, and speak with composure in unfamiliar settings. By writing about the Primary Science Club or the Academic Coaching sessions, I gained a new appreciation for the importance of communication. I learned that being an effective leader isn’t just about what you know, but how you share that knowledge and how well you listen to those around you. Managing the articles and other small details required a level of organisation and initiative I hadn’t used before. It taught me that preparation and clear communication are the foundations of any successful project.
“Reflecting on the nearly 4,000 hours of Abingdon student partnership experiences, I feel a sense of pride in having documented and helped in this journey. Being the first student ambassador allowed me to see that when schools work together, the impact is measurable and meaningful. For me, the greatest lesson was that by looking outward and documenting the success of others, I was able to find my own voice and confidence. It has been one of the most rewarding roles (apart from being a Peer Support Lead) that I have ever had and has been very fun along the way.”
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