What a pleasure it was to spend the day with Year 9 students on Tuesday as we explored the skills and qualities necessary for leadership. The students engaged with the activities positively and developed stronger connections with their peers across the year group.

Mrs. Renshaw, (Student Leadership Facilitator), and I spoke to the students about how, as they move into Year 10 in 2025, every student has an important role to play in leadership at St. John’s. This responsibility includes how they conduct themselves as role models and how they engage with junior students, helping to shape the supportive and positive culture of the school.

The aims of the activities included:

• Drumming Activity – Highlighting the importance of working with peers to achieve a goal.
• Failure Time! – Working in teams to solve challenges, highlighting the need to persist at a task, accept imperfection in themselves and others, and demonstrate support for others, even in the midst of failure.
• Mindful or Mind Full? – Good leaders know they need to care for themselves first. This session focused on calming skills and provided tools to use when feeling overwhelmed.
• The Leader I Want to Be! – This session explored leadership as a concept, personality types, and what is required to achieve the perfect balance for good leadership.
• Facilitation and Communication Skills – Focused on the importance of good communication skills using activities that required students to give instructions to their peers to achieve a goal.
• Smart Gym – De-escalation and self-regulation strategies were developed through physical challenges.
  
  

Going to the Ball! This was the final activity and the highlight of the day! In groups, students chose a few “couples” to dress up in paper outfits made by the groups, to take part in the fashion parade at the end of the day. Each group cheered on their “couples,” enjoying the unique designs that had been created for their respective princes and princesses. 

STUDENT REFLECTIONS