At St. John’s School we believe that pupils should be given a wide range of opportunities to develop and practise leadership skills in preparation for life beyond school.
Our Pupil Leadership Team (PLT) is an elected team of pupils representing all key stages across both schools. We are tremendously proud of their courage, friendliness and commitment to our school community. PLT activities include improving the quality of learning and teaching in the classroom, supporting the school’s aim to be a place where everyone enjoys learning and is creative – trying new things, finding solutions and embracing their responsibilities. Our PLT are the vital bridge between staff and pupils- their input and insight shape school change in a crucial way e.g. consultation on new uniforms, interviewing teaching candidates and fielding pupil voice on issues ranging from catering to leading assemblies and arranging fundraising appeals.
It would be impossible to list all the opportunities pupils have to take on leadership roles at the school so this is just a flavour of what is currently on offer developed as the result of a group of pupils, teachers and support staff working together to identify ways that we can contribute to our core values of Excellence, Learning and Leadership throughout our school and wider world.
Aims of our Pupil Leadership Team programme
- To empower pupils to work in partnership with staff towards shared goals.
- To enable creativity to flourish as the school community benefits from the wealth of experiences, ideas, skills and sense of fun that pupils bring.
- To provide opportunities for pupils to develop leadership skills through a variety of inspiring, challenging and valued projects which impact positively on learning, teaching and well-being for both pupils and staff at St. John’s School.
- To prepare pupils for Higher Education and for achieving personal and professional excellence in life after formal education.
Wider Pupil Leadership Opportunities on offer
- Pupil Leadership: every pupil at St John’s School is entitled to have their voice heard. The whole pupil body will be responsible for electing representatives, using this channel to raise areas for discussion and for hearing, and abiding by, the outcomes. The PLT provides a forum where representatives from all year groups raise, discuss and propose resolutions about issues which are important to the pupils they represent. The process of electing representatives, drawing up agendas and convening meetings will model good democratic practice. PLT meetings will provide opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles. PLT representatives are responsible for gathering information from the pupils they represent and for feeding back after meetings. The PLT has the right to initiate meetings with or invite advisors (staff or pupil groups) to meetings.
- Pupil Co-Creators: pupils, in a selection of subject areas and tutor groups co-plan lessons or learning strategies with teachers. When am I at my best? Lesson planning: What shall we keep from our last unit? Feedback on new assessment: What could be better? How can we do this?
- Pupil Researchers: pupils, after careful selection and training in certain subject areas, research a topic that impacts the school community e.g. e-safety. Qualitative and quantities research methods must be ethical and accurate representations. Research findings may be fed back to SLT, departments, Governors plus relevant staff and pupils, as appropriate.
- Safeguarding Ambassadors: a team of 12 student safeguarding ambassadors have received Level 2 Safeguarding Training and have completed Safer Recruitment courses with the NSPCC. Equipped with this knowledge and understanding our safeguarding ambassadors play an important role in supporting pupils with concerns regarding their wellbeing band the wellbeing of others. Our student safeguarding Ambassadors also play an important role in the recruitment of prospective staff and together form an interview panel for externally advertised posts. Their feedback to the staff interview panel provides part of the selection process, alongside the range of recruitment procedures.
- SUMO Champions: as a SUMO School we are supported by a team of 12 SUMO Champions. Our student SUMO Champions have been trained to support other students to reflect upon their responses to events in or out of school. Using the Event + Response = Outcome formula our SUMO Champions coach their peers to reflect upon how their response to event resulted in a given outcome and how this outcome could have been altered by opting upon a different response to an event.
- Charity Leaders: volunteer pupils join a year group charity team, selecting a local and national charity to support and raise funds for, as well as fundraising for key school events such as residential visits.