Leadership in Action: Shrewsbury Hosts Alpha Academies Challenge Day

Shrewsbury was delighted to facilitate its tenth collaborative ‘Challenge Day’ with over 150 Year 8 pupils from the Alpha Academies Trust.

Visiting pupils took part in a series of activities designed to test and develop problem-solving, resilience, confidence, communication, and motivation. Much of the programme was delivered by a team of Lower Sixth Form students, all working towards the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Level 2 Young Leaders Award as part of their Thursday afternoon or Sixth Form programme.

This mutually beneficial initiative provides valuable opportunities for every participant—both visiting pupils and Shrewsbury’s student leaders—to strengthen core leadership skills in a dynamic, hands-on setting.

As a measure of impact, the 17 Sixth Form students involved were asked to rate their own abilities before and after the Challenge Day across several key competencies. The results showed clear growth in every area:

• Leadership: improved from an average of 3.69 to 4.18
• Teamwork: increased from 4.06 to 4.47
• Communication: rose from 3.88 to 4.41
• Confidence: strengthened from 3.63 to 4.29
• Problem Solving: grew from 3.81 to 4.06
• Activity Facilitation: showed the greatest improvement, from 3.56 to 4.65

These outcomes highlight the tangible benefits of peer-led leadership opportunities and the value of partnership events that bring together young people from different schools to learn, lead, and grow together.

Shrewsbury looks forward to welcoming two further Alpha Academy groups in March 2026 for the next instalment of this inspiring collaboration.

Chris Wain, Head of Futures