We have recently changed our approach to student leadership in order to give any student who wants to experience a leadership an opportunity and a chance to try it out in Semester 1.

Students complete an online survey, nominating whether they would like to try Student Councillor, Faction Captain, both, or neither. Students include 3 - 5 sentences about why they would make a great student leader.

In Semester 1, all students are placed into a rotation and are able to try out leadership roles in two week blocks. At intervals in the process, feedback is collected from staff about how the students have performed the roles and their aptitude for leadership.

At the end of Semester 1, feedback is collated, and each Year 6 students is able to allocate two votes to the peers they would like to see as student leaders.

The students really enjoy this process, as; 1) they don’t have to do a speech to be selected, and 2) they have an opportunity to wear a badge and take on a leadership role of some sort.

The Semester 1 badges are generic; 'Student Leader', which the students to wear while they are on the job, and a job description will outline all the same opportunities that they would experience if it were really their job, such as:

Faction Captain: run Daily Fitness, set up Senior Sport, do a report at the Assembly once a term, take care of the Sports Shed and hand out equipment. They help run with the Faction Carnival and

Student Councillor: read Merit Certificates at the Assembly, do a speech at Assembly once a term, set up the Assembly, pack away the Assembly, thank special guests, put up the flags, lock and unlock gates.

Just prior to the start of Semester 2, staff will consider how each apprentice leader performed against the job requirements, and Student Councillors and Faction Captains will be decided on for Semester 2 (in time for the Faction Carnival term). Students may or may not want to be considered for the positions in Semester 2, with their apprenticeship experience being enough of a try.

Since implementing this process, we have experienced high levels of enthusiasm maintained all year. More students put their hand up for a leadership role in this process, than with previous processes we have run.

Although there isn’t a ‘speech’ component of winning a leadership role, all students who nominate for a try at Student Councillor are expected to speak in front of the assembly.

Being a Student Leader brings out the hidden talents and confidence of many 'shy' students, and their Year 6 experience is more rewarding for it.