The importance of student leadership

By Umalkheyr Haji

Student leadership is an important way of developing students’ teamwork, interpersonal skills, organisation skills and a range of important characteristics needed later in life. The school and teachers have been providing many ways for the students to mature these skills, such as through student presidency, inspiring the students, the charities committees and tutor representatives.

One way the sixth form has provided support in encouraging students to become leaders is through the student presidency roles. Earlier this week, we elected our first student president and vice presidents. The student president is Hanan, and the student vice presidents are Umalkheyr Haji, Pedro Menezes da Silva , and Kingsley Eke-Varela. They have formed the sixth forms first presidency team and will be starting to do the jobs related to their roles. Every presidency candidate put forward a poster with their manifesto and a video detailing what they wanted to change. They were chosen through a school wide vote.

Students have also had the chance to become tutor representatives, so they can gather all the concerns of their form classes and relay it to the student council. This is another important leadership role, as it allows students to work with their form classes to bring about the change that they want to see. Students can also choose to be a part of the charities committees and take the lead in organising charity events. Two form classes together chose a charity to support, and in the future the school will allow them to take charge in raising money for the causes the students believe in.

We can become this generation of leaders and innovators, and this journey starts now, in sixth form.