Student Leadership

At Oaklands, each year, we have a refresh of the Student Leadership Team. This year was the third iteration of the current model.

Before I joined Oaklands Catholic School, I had never experienced an environment where students took direct responsibility and involvement in planning events, alongside staff. This always perplexed me because how can we, the main participants in education, not be involved in these processes? I was delighted, therefore, when I heard about the existence and influence of the Student Leadership Team here at Oaklands.

The engagement of the Student Leaders shows how much the school and Sixth Form staff encourage us to use our voices and embody the collective message, ‘Community Unity Opportunity’. Although I started my role as Student President not too long ago, myself and the team already have several exciting plans. With the help of my Vice President, Emily Bray, our incredible Student Leadership Team, including Ashley Song, Jeffrey Mamman (Charism Team Leaders), Cerys Colley (Co-Curriculum Team Leader), Isobel Whyte (Pastoral Team Leader), Marvel Soyan and Sakura Cheragh (Curriculum Team Leaders), and Veeya Paul and Camille Nase (Secretaries), I look forward to an exciting list of events throughout the rest of this term and into next year.

Leadership Team

We have some great activities planned for the rest of this academic year, starting with a Sixth Form charity event named ‘Sleep Out to Help Out’. Sixth Formers will be camping out on the school field (under Mr Godwin’s supervision!) to raise funds and awareness for those who do not have a bed to sleep in, or even sleep outside. We have also started planning our ‘Oaklands at the Seaside’ Summer Concert and we hope this will be an amazing way to finish this academic year. Culture Week is just one way we celebrate our school’s values and the diversity that lies not just in Oaklands, but in the entire world. Planning for next year’s Culture Week has already started, focusing on how we can involve more people, especially those who weren’t able to do it previously.

The Autumn term is usually a busy one for Year 13 students who will be concentrating on UCAS statement writing and university applications. To spread the load, we are planning to involve more Year 12, Year 11 and Year 10 students in the preparations. The amount of work our Leadership Teams put in shows how dedicated they are to their work, and that deserves recognition and appreciation. Lastly, I would like to thank Mr Sumba and Mr Godwin, who offer us support and encouragement throughout everything we do. Although our journey is only just beginning, I feel it is never too early to say thank you. Of course, our previous President and Vice President, Leona and Nadia, deserve just as much praise and a big thank you for the legacy they left for Oaklands, one which we will continue to treasure and keep alive.

Larisa Antemir, Student President (2024-2025)

Charism Team at Oaklands

Proverbs 22:9: “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”

Student leadership is an important aspect of our school. It is part of the Oaklands+ Programme; an opportunity for students to serve their community using their many gifts and talents. One of the leadership teams is the Charism Team. “Charism” is the Greek word used in the New Testament meaning “favour” or a “gratuitous gift.” They are spiritual gifts – special abilities given to all Christians, to give them power: both to represent Christ, and to be a channel of God’s goodness for people. In many ways, the Charism Team is the team that ensures that students take an active part in realising the mission of the school, it is the Team that is about who we are, it is at the heart of all we do and defines us as a community. For us in the Charism Team, we see our purpose as that of letting people know they are loved, bringing help, faith, and hope to those who are poor or lack the things they need to live a good life. At our core, we believe in celebrating and nurturing the gifts of our individual students, channeling their hidden potentials, all for the makings of a kinder, and more peaceful community and the world. We seek to spread God’s gift of kindness to every member of our community and beyond. As a school, Oaklands seeks to promote the core principles of Catholic Social Teaching such as the Common Good, Option for the Poor, Human Dignity and Solidarity. Our Charism team aims to put these principles in to practice as well as unite our students under Jesus teachings of goodwill, to actively heal, and work towards, a better future for us all

Updated Spring 2024