Student Leadership

Student Leadership

At Chobham, all students are expected to demonstrate leadership skills. We believe that a key element of our purpose as a school is to prepare young people for the world beyond Chobham. It is certain that many of our students will take careers and other roles in society which require them to lead others. We want them to do this well.

However, there are broader aspects of leadership which we also believe to be important. These include areas such as responsibility for oneself and others, politeness and good manners and resilience under pressure. These are areas which students are encouraged to work on as individuals, both through their learning in lessons and during extra-curricular activities.

Leadership opportunities at Chobham include:

• Year 10/11 Prefect
• Sixth Form Leadership Team
• School Council Representatives
• House Captains
• Sports Captains
• Curriculum Advisors
• Mental Heather Ambassadors and Peer Mentors

In addition to these leadership roles, we seek to develop leadership skills for all students through:

• Developing independent learning skills in lessons
• Encouraging social skills through paired and group work
• Taking responsibility for completing work to a high standard and meeting deadlines
• Widening perspectives through our enrichment programme
• Representing Academy sports teams
• Organising and participating in performances and presentations
• Working with external agencies and local companies
• Organising and participating in House events

Sixth Form Student Leadership Team

The Sixth Form Student Leadership Team are important figures in the Academy. They represent the views of Sixth Formers to the Principal and the Director of Sixth Form. As well as this, the Sixth Form team have whole school responsibilities, overseeing the work of our prefect team and ensuring that the opinions of younger students are listened to and articulated within the Academy.

Each year a new Sixth Form Leadership Team is chosen following a rigorous induction process which includes candidate being interviewed by the Principal.

The team comprises of the Head Boy and Girl and their deputies. The 2019-20 is pictured below with Mr Whitworth, Principal, and Ms Rees, Head of Sixth Form.

Chobham Academy Prefects

Our academy aims to develop in its students a positive and enterprising attitude to learning.  In everything we do, we will embed our six core values to ensure students fulfil their potential:

• Excellence: Be exceptional in everything we do.
• Respect: Be dedicated to relationships.
• Integrity: Be true to our word.
• Innovation: Be challenging in our approach.
• Collaboration: Be one team.
• Trust: Be open and transparent.

Academy Prefects make a valuable contribution to the wider school community at Chobham Academy, taking on important leadership roles, assisting and supporting both staff and pupils, liaising with prospective parents/carers, students and other visitors and acting as excellent role models for their peers and younger students.

As Academy Prefect, we offer students the opportunity to:

• Develop their leadership skills;
• Develop their ability to work in a team;
• Develop their ability to use your initiative;
• Become actively involved in the day to day running of the school;
• Extend their Curriculum Vitae (CV);
• Provide positive evidence for Sixth Form, College and job references;
• Become a more well-rounded human being.

Job description

Below you will find the main duties and responsibilities of our Academy Prefects:

1. Academy Prefects will be expected to act as role models for the rest of the year group and for the lower school. They will be expected to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner at all times.
2. Academy Prefects will be required to represent the Academy’s student body at the majority of internal and external Academy events such as Open Days, Parents’ Evenings, Celebration Evenings, primary school visits, and events such as the whole school production and art exhibition. Duties on these occasions vary but will include hosting, speeches, assisting with refreshments, welcoming, and compeering, judging or similar.
3. Academy Prefects will act as a point of communication between students and staff. They will be expected to gather opinions from and represent the best interests of the student body. They will be asked to feed back to staff well thought-out and well evidenced opinions. In order to facilitate this, the Academy Prefects will be expected to make themselves available to students, possibly by putting together a regular ‘open door’ meeting rota or alternative form of communication.
4. Academy Prefects will be expected to share the responsibility of regular lunch time duties (plus other monitoring duties, where mutually agreed e.g. Library, Theatre or Sports Hall). They will be expected to monitor other students’ behaviour and uniform, and point out any issues.
5. Academy Prefects will be given responsibility for creation and maintenance of displays within the school as agreed.
6. Academy Prefects may be required to organise (and supervise) trips, events, innovation days or guest speakers from time-to-time, as agreed.
7. Academy Prefects will act as the first point of contact for assisting and organising house events such as assemblies or tournaments, as well as charitable events.
8. Academy Prefects will be expected to play an active part in promoting the ethos and values of the Academy through marketing, organising and attending events within the community.
9. Academy Prefects will be expected to play an active part in the transition of Year 6 students to Year 7, arranging regular visits, taster lessons and events, as well as assisting during the Year 6 Testing Day and Year 6 Induction Day.
10. Academy Prefects will be expected to volunteer to assist wherever needed and within reason.

Personal specification for the role of Academy Prefect

Below you will find a summary of the key competencies a potential Academy Prefect should have:

Key Competencies	Essential	Desirable
Experience & Knowledge	Understanding of the Academy rules and codes of behaviour	Confident to enforce the rules wherever required
	Experience of helping out during an Academy event or scheme e.g. Open Evening, Boss Day, assembly or whole school production	Confident speaker with proven experience
	Proven track record of following Academy rules and procedures including excellent behaviour, punctuality and attendance
Abilities & Skills	Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate sensibly and maturely with a variety of audiences	Experience with working on projects or events with different age groups
	Ability to work flexibly, on own initiative and as part of a team
	Ability to manage relationships with tact and diplomacy
Other	Enthusiastic and willing to undertake further responsibility, training and development as required

If you have any questions regarding student leadership at Chobham Academy, the prefect system, the application process, the job description, the personal specification or the selection process, please contact Mr Stander at t.stander@chobhamacademy.org.uk.