Student Cabinet
At St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School, student voice is taken seriously. Our Student Cabinet is a leadership body designed to empower students, develop responsibility, and ensure that pupils play an active role in shaping school life.
The Student Cabinet mirrors the structure of the UK Parliament, giving students meaningful leadership roles with real responsibility, accountability and impact across the school community.
What is the Student Cabinet?
The Student Cabinet replaces the traditional school council model. It is a representative leadership team made up of elected and appointed students from across Years 7–11, working alongside staff and senior leaders.
Cabinet members:
- Represent the views of students in their year groups
- Lead campaigns, projects and initiatives
- Work closely with curriculum departments and pastoral teams
- Help improve school life for all students
The Cabinet meets regularly and feeds directly into senior leadership, ensuring that student voice leads to real action.
Democratic Leadership: Prime Minister Elections
Each year, students elect a Prime Minister through a whole-school democratic vote.
Candidates:
- Create a campaign poster and video
- Share their priorities with the school community
- Campaign positively and responsibly
- Take part in a formal ballot process
Every student gets one vote, reinforcing the importance of democracy, fairness and participation.
Once elected, the Prime Minister works alongside staff to appoint students to Cabinet roles based on commitment, suitability and interest.
Cabinet Roles & Responsibilities
Each Cabinet role has a clear focus, links to curriculum areas, and supports whole-school priorities.
Core Leadership Roles
- Prime Minister – Chairs meetings, represents students, works with Senior Leadership
- Deputy Prime Minister – Leads student voice projects and supports communication
Ministerial Roles
Students can serve as:
- Education Secretary
- Health Secretary
- Environment Secretary
- Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Secretary
- Sports & Recreation Secretary
- Technology & Digital Secretary
- Culture, Arts & Media Secretary
- Home, Defence, Justice, Transport and Attendance Secretaries
- Careers, Science & Innovation, Food & Agriculture and more
Each role:
- Leads campaigns and initiatives
- Gathers student feedback
- Works with relevant departments
- Reports back to the Cabinet
Ambassadors, Teams & Wider Involvement
To ensure as many students as possible can get involved, the Cabinet is supported by a wide range of Ambassadors and Teams, including:
- Wellbeing & Inclusion Ambassadors
- Eco-Ambassadors
- Digital Innovation Team
- STEM Ambassadors
- Faith & Values Ambassadors
- Safeguarding & Student Safety Ambassadors
- Creative & Media Team
- Community & Outreach Officers
These roles allow students to:
- Develop leadership skills
- Build confidence and teamwork
- Contribute to school life in practical ways
Why the Student Cabinet Matters
The Student Cabinet helps students to:
- Develop leadership, communication and organisation skills
- Understand democracy, responsibility and accountability
- Build confidence and resilience
- Prepare for future roles in education, employment and society
- Make a positive difference to their school community
For parents, it ensures that student voice is structured, purposeful and meaningful.
Student Voice in Action
The Student Cabinet has already:
- Led anti-bullying and wellbeing campaigns.
- Contributed to key decisions regarding PE Kit and School Uniform.
- Promoted reading, attendance and enrichment.
- Spoke at the ‘Our Education for Our Generation’ event.
This is student leadership with real impact.
Get Involved
Students are encouraged to:
- Stand for election
- Apply for Cabinet or Ambassador roles
- Share ideas through student voice channels
- Take part in campaigns and events
The Student Cabinet is open to all students who want to contribute, lead and be heard.
