Servant leadership starts at school
Pupil leaders – what training do they need?
By Alastair Reid
This was the question put to me early on in my first Headship. It seemed to be coming from, in my opinion, someone with an unrealistically egalitarian view of schools and how they should be managed. I listened, though, as it was a parent who made the remark – and parental influence beyond the school gates was growing!
As someone who has worked in schools with hierarchical and, sometimes, powerful Prefect bodies I was keen as a Head to challenge perceptions of pupil leaders – and not least those which might be regarded as old fashioned and outmoded. (I am, no doubt, also influenced by my own boarding school upbringing at a time when Prefects still had ‘fags’ and could impose substantial punishments.)
As I took up my first Headship I can remember challenging the very notion of staff appointing a select band of senior pupils to wield authority over their younger peers. It became readily apparent that not only did pupils expect some of their number to be recognised as leaders but that they also presumed they would have a part in their selection. (It was often staff who questioned this notion of ‘the select few’ and, naturally, parents who made their feelings known if their child was not one of these.) And so it was that out of this experience (as well as a fresh appreciation for the life-lesson value of pupil leaders) I came to look for ways to streamline the selection of pupil leaders and, thereafter, to provide appropriate training.
Every school will have their own ways of selecting prefects / mentors / pupil leaders (et al). In my last two schools, pupils had to apply in writing, be interviewed and also to come through a secret ballot of their peer group. Senior Management would have the final ‘say’ but would rarely, if ever, go beyond the ‘vote’ which was unerringly accurate. Having made the selection – and allowed for others to join the group as they matured – we would move to training in-school and also, wherever possible, out of school. It’s with the latter process that TISCA has sought to assist schools over the past 15 years and more. As with staff on CPD, I have always felt that a pupil can learn so much more about his or her own leadership style and approach when in the challenging company of likeminded young people from outside their immediate environment. TISCA offers to do just that – in conjunction with our host schools - for what we call ‘Pupil Leadership Training’.
Each year we run two separate training days: one is for junior leaders (drawn from Years 6-8 depending on whether the school has a primary or a prep structure); the other is for senior leaders in Years 11, 12 and 13. On the junior course, a school will often send all of their prefects (perhaps around a dozen) whilst for the seniors we invariably have the Head boy/girl/deputies (or equivalents) – and so around four pupils per school. In both instances, this makes for an exciting and age-appropriate environment allowing for some class-based instruction (using film and other media), an exploration of team dynamics and team-buildingtasks. Comments by pupils in their feedback, invariably reflect the fun of the activities, hearing from a Head about ‘what worries me most’, the interest in meeting pupils in similar positions and how much better the lunch is than in their own schools! We don’t expect any faith commitment, but we do explore Jesus’ remarks about ‘servant-leadership’ and consider situations likely to be encountered in the school context.
We welcome state school pupils to our training days and we do make a small charge per pupil which helps cover the cost of lunch and refreshments. Full details of the training (Monday 21st September 2026 for seniors, at Monkton Combe School, Bath; Thursday 1st October 2026 for juniors, at Kingham Hill School) can we found via our website:
And so, ‘what training do pupil leaders need?’ Join us to find out – you will be very welcome!
Alastair Reid (General Secretary of TISCA), Alix Stockwell (Development Officer) and Anthony Buckley (TISCA’s Chaplain to the Chaplains)