Citizens Essex

During the summer term 2025 Westcliff High School for Girls, The Westborough Primary School, Prince Avenue Academy and Nursery School and Heycroft Primary School joined Citizens Essex, a group that galvanises organisations to collaborate in order to realise real change in local areas. Our schools will be working with a range of other schools and colleges from across Essex as well as representatives from religious groups, housing, food banks and the charity sector.

Two key events for this year

A Youth Assembly, held at UPS College on 15th October 2025 were pupils attended the launch event, the Big Listen, where young people ask: “What pressures do your family face?”

Responses will help shape the The Shaping Essex Assembly in March, where pupils may present their findings and question candidates directly.

 Photo: Pupils at  the  October event of "The Big Listen" 

The Shaping Essex Assembly, hopefully to be held at Chelmsford Cathedral on 24th March 2026, which will bring together council representatives and MPs to  seek change in the key areas.  

Pupils will share their findings from their community listening and question the Essex Mayoral candidates about their policies in relation to issues raised.

The key areas Citizens Essex will be campaigning on are: transport, housing, health, security and employment. 

SEEAT schools have been asked to be part of the transport campaign working party, seeking improvements in cost, efficiency, frequency and safety. 

This will be a great opportunity for SEEAT pupils to have a string voice in a key democratic process and one we hope will inspire them to continue to campaign for positive change.

For more info:

Some inspiring examples here: Join us as a school - Citizens UK and an example from pupils at St Anthony’s School in Newham who have found their voice to fight for justice for care workers and on housing issues in recent years: ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE