There is no shortage of ways in which St John’s pupils acquire, refine and develop their leadership skills during their time at the School. Our older pupils act as role models throughout their time at the School and in their final year of Sixth Form, alongside being representatives for their house, school and other co-curricular passions, they have the opportunity to become an important part of the pupil leadership team.
School Captains work alongside an enthusiastic team of House Captains and Prefects as ambassadors for the School and a voice for the pupil body. Daisy and Jacob, our 2022-23 School Captains and their Prefect team have been busy supporting pupils, and welcoming visitors to our Open Events.
On Wednesday 8 March we were delighted to celebrate their hard work and achievements at the Prefect Dinner. The Prefect team enjoyed a fantastic dinner, alongside Rebecca Evans, Acting Head, and senior members of staff.
In their own words, you can read below what it means to them to be leading the pupil body this year.
Why did you want to become School Captain, and what does it mean to you?
It has been a dream of mine to be School Captain since the first day of Lower Third when I watched the School Captains and Prefects walk up the aisle in Chapel. They were so proud and confident and inspired me to aim high and work towards achieving this role. My experience at St John’s has been nothing less than incredible and that is all thanks to my teachers and peers who have constantly supported me. By taking on the role of School Captain I am able to give back to them, which is something I am very grateful for. To be School Captain is such an honour and I hope that I can inspire pupils to enjoy their years at St John’s as much as I have, and I look forward to representing the school and promoting its values and qualities to the best of my ability.
Daisy
I applied to take up the role of School Captain because I wanted to serve the School whilst leading the pupil body. When I joined St John’s in Lower Third I was encouraged by the School Captains to throw myself into every aspect of school life, and having done this I hope that I can inspire younger pupils to do likewise.
Jacob
What does your role as School Captain entail?
My main role as School Captain is to bridge the gap between the pupils and the teachers and a big part of the success of this is being a familiar face to all the pupils so they feel I am approachable. As someone who is involved in multiple aspects of school life including sport, music, drama, boarding and many more, I am familiar with most members of the St John’s community. The Prefect team support us with ensuring that we share and utilise all of our talents and are able to best support all pupils within the School. This is something that I am particularly proud of as it means as a team, we can hopefully inspire everyone to get involved with as much as they can and take advantage of all the amazing opportunities St John’s has to offer.
Daisy
My role is to act primarily as the mediator between the pupil and staff bodies, and this involves meeting with the Head and Deputy Heads to discuss future initiatives for the School. The School Prefects support us in this responsibility and are on hand to assist with the smooth running of daily school life – theirs is an outward thinking attitude and they are committed to serving the School community.
Jacob
What is the significance of the School Captains and Prefects?
Having been a part of the first ever cohort of Lower Thirds at St John’s, I know how influenced the younger year groups are by the older year groups. It is therefore vital that we set good examples and in my role as School Captain, I need to lead by example. Leadership is a core value which forms an important part of school life at St John’s. Helping to lead the Prefects and executing our roles and responsibilities will be important to help keep the School running smoothly. Performing our key roles to the highest possible standards including promoting the School to prospective parents at open day events is something, as a school, we pride ourselves on.
Daisy
I think the idea of connecting both the pupil voice and staff leadership is pivotal to the very tangible sense of community at St John’s. But equally as a School Captain, we should promote high standards by our words and actions, both in the classroom and beyond it. The visibility of a role model and friendly face is vital for younger pupils, and it is a great privilege being able to connect with pupils across all houses and year groups.
Jacob
What are your hopes for your time as School Captain?
In terms of my goal as School Captain I want to build on the amazing foundations that the School has already set. I want to keep improving the School and striving for success and instilling this in the rest of the pupils is very important to me. I want to inspire people to get involved with everything so that their experience at St John’s is as amazing as mine has been.
Daisy
My aspiration for the pupil community is that it is committed to as many facets of school life as possible, and experiences fully the richness of a St John’s education. Leading such an energised community, hemmed together by kindness and excellent pastoral care, I hope that pupils can approach us or any of the School Prefects and feel comfortable talking honestly about school life.
Jacob
