Wellbeing

Trailblazer Incursion: Students Leading Change Through Data and Voice 

Article by Nala Tubb, Head of Student Character and Wellbeing  

The recent Trailblazer incursion brought together 24 students from Years 4–12,  who held a range of leadership positions across the College. The day provided a valuable opportunity for these students to use their voices; analyse real college data and work collaboratively to identify ways we can continue to improve the student experience. 

Our students spent the day unpacking and exploring the RYA student wellbeing data collected across Years 3–12 in Term 2. Working as researchers, they examined both quantitative and qualitative data to better understand the experiences of students across the College. 

Discussions focused on three key areas for improvement: 

• Friendship experiences – exploring how we can support students to develop positive social connections and strengthen their sense of belonging. 
• Useful jobs at school – considering how students can have meaningful opportunities to contribute, take responsibility and make a difference within the College community. 

• Ready to learn – exploring how we can strengthen students’ sense of belonging, safety and connection to help them feel ready and supported to learn. 

   

A particularly valuable aspect of the day was the opportunity for senior students to work alongside junior students in mixed groups. This created a genuine cross-age leadership experience, with students listening to different perspectives, challenging ideas and building on one another’s thinking. 

Throughout the day, students analysed scatter plots, considered patterns within the data and explored qualitative responses to gain a deeper understanding of the student experience.  

The day concluded with students presenting their findings and potential solutions to College leadership. Their recommendations demonstrated thoughtful consideration of the issues they had identified. Ideas included creating more clearly defined roles and responsibilities for student leadership positions, as well as developing more structured opportunities for students to build social connections beyond their existing friendship groups. What stood out most was the confidence and authenticity with which our students shared their perspectives.