The Co-Curricular “Horizons” Programme focuses on giving students a broad range of opportunities to develop key life skills and characteristics such as leadership, teamwork and reflection.
It is important to develop leadership skills in all young people to allow them to have control of some elements of their lives to encourage the ability to make things happen. Leadership instils confidence, and helps children solve problems creatively, work in a team, and work collaboratively with others and to develop a sense of responsibility.
We have introduced the MiSocs programme this term as a co-curricular communication system, much like our sport information platform. In an instant, we have enabled much more student ownership of their weekly programme and therefore increased both the responsibility and accountability and their accessibility to the opportunities around them at school.
In the last week alone, we have seen huge opportunity for student leadership, teamwork and reflection in the many types of co-curricular activities on offer: the Chapel Choir performing Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral, Year 10 Scripted iGCSE Drama Performances, The Club led a Headmaster’s Assembly and the CCF Field Day where many of the Senior NCOs were assessed in their ability to instruct lessons. The U14 Boys’ Hockey team performed admirably at Regionals and the U16 Netball team are off to Nationals this weekend. All of this would not be possible without leadership from all the students involved, not just from individuals but the collective teams, groups and performers that come together to produce wonderful outcomes that we are all fortunate to observe.
There is some debate whether some students are “born leaders” or they “learn to be” leaders. All students have the potential to develop leadership skills.
Here are some ways that we try to help students develop leadership skills:
- Act as Role Models: the prefects, CCF NCOs, sports captains and students who run their own clubs such as Amnesty and MUN encourage younger students to learn by seeing what others do.
- Encourage Communication: it is a key component to being an effective leader; we expect students to communicate with staff regularly, as a tutor, a teacher or as a sports coach.
- Opportunity: having breadth in the programme and having to make a choice, gives students opportunities to do a good job and pursue things that interest them.
- Problem Solve: encourage students to learn how to solve their own problems. Every term students have to make a choice of what activity they attend and commit to it.
Hayley Mortimer
Director of Co-Curricular
