At Chesterhouse we believe that every pupil must be given the opportunity of developing their leadership skills; through this we ensure that every pupil can find a place to be involved in the running of some area of the school.
Prefects 2012
Our leadership programme begins in Grade 10 when willing pupils enter themselves for the Student Leader Programme. These pupils have to understand that part of the process is to buy in to the values of Chesterhouse and that they are willing to work and make a positive difference.
Student Leaders are expected to be socially aware, respect everyone inside and outside their surroundings, be honest and trustworthy, strive to achieve the extraordinary and meet their successes with humility. In doing so, our pupils will be ambassadors for Chesterhouse Senior School, set their example by their work ethic and appearance and have a positive attitude about their school.
The work done in developing Student Leaders is that of task forces – pupils elect which task force they wish to make a contribution and difference to and manage their time to ensure that they give at least one hour a week of service to the following activities at the school:
- The school’s Brag Squad – a team of pupils that tells the community around them of the very positive difference that Chesterhouse School makes in their lives.
- Media that is directly linked to marketing all the attributes of the school – the school magazine, the website, marketing posters, brand ambassadorship in malls and places outside of the school
- Community work – ensuring that work is done by our pupils in the disadvantaged schools in the Durbanville and surrounding areas
When this work is completed by the Student Leaders, an appraisal system is in place so that pupils can measure their contribution by completing their own score cards. These are countersigned and assessed by the school teachers and management staff. Certificates of leadership are awarded to those that have achieved the goals and a CV is produced by the school’s management team. This CV can form part of the pupil’s application when they apply to be a prefect in the middle of their Grade 11 year.
Our prefect system
Pupils apply to be a prefect in Grade 12 in their Grade 11 year. Although all applications are usually accepted, the Senior School management reserve veto rights.
Each pupil then prepares and gives a speech to the school after which pupils and staff vote. We do not publish the votes as these can negatively impact on a pupil who has gained votes that are less than his/her expectation.
The combined vote produces a ranking identifying the top four pupils. These pupils are then invited to panel interviews. The panel is made up of Senior School management staff and teachers from both the Senior and Junior Schools; Junior School teachers are the Grade 7 teachers.
Once the interviews are completed the selection committee, which is led by the Deputy Head of the Senior School and includes the Senior School Management Team, considers what is required of the candidates, their strengths and weaknesses and determines who should be selected for which role. The top four candidates make up the prefect executive committee – the Head Prefect, the Senior Deputy Head Prefect and two Deputy Head Prefects.
There is place for every prefect to shine at Chesterhouse if they have the drive to make a difference, as we have an excellent portfolio system. The portfolio system divides the prefect group into leaders responsible for a portfolio. The portfolios comprise of the following areas in the school:
- Academic
- Sport
- Culture
- Outreach
- Discipline
- Public Relations
Pupils that are in the lower grades in the Senior School align themselves with the portfolio of their choice and assist the prefects that are responsible for the portfolio in their work. This system ensures that pupils can begin in Grade 8 in being involved in the work of the Chesterhouse Senior pupils, learn from each other in ensuring an adhesive pupil community and develop their leadership thinking and skills for future opportunities.
We believe that the system at Chesterhouse has the right blend of pupil input, staff input and using the professional judgement of the school’s leadership.
