“Taking on a leadership role doesn’t mean that you only have to be personally ambitious.”
Jacinda Ardern
If you spend enough time reading the education press you are likely to come across the idea that schools are involved in the task of preparing young people for careers that have yet to be created. A history of education will show that this is not a particularly new situation. Who’d have thought that influencer would have been a career a decade ago? New and unforeseen employment opportunities develop quickly, and education is rarely fast on the heels of such developments. This is a time of year when older students are working hard on university applications, and many are thinking not only of the coming three or four years but to what a more distant future may hold. Fortunately, they are supported by an experienced set of tutors who will guide them in their applications. Soon there will be offers arriving and new plans being formed. Who knows what careers will follow?
One aspect of pupil development that will undoubtedly remain a key element in future success is to be found in the field of leadership. No matter what the nature of roles in the future it would seem likely that leadership will be a quality that is sought. It is therefore important that schools provide opportunities for pupils to develop these vital skills so that they are ready to flourish in the wider world.
Leadership opportunities have been to the fore this week. House captains have been elected in the Junior School and Form representatives have been voted into office in the Senior School. Some will have the chance to lead sports teams or perhaps provide direction of a musical group. Taking the lead role in a school production is another obvious opportunity to provide direction and shape the development of a particular project. But these opportunities are only the tip of the iceberg. Some of the most courageous acts of leadership are to be found hidden in plain sight and often during the course of the day. It is the leadership of small acts, the pupil who is ready to answer questions in class when no-one else is ready to risk being wrong. It is to be found in the pupil who welcomes a newcomer to the class or is the first to step forward when service is required. It is the leadership that is needed to stand apart on social media rather than following the herd. It is the courage to lead on the development of thought around diversity and inclusion, the bravery to be ready to confront ideas. It’s the pupil who decides to debate a challenging topic to gain a greater understanding of all points of view.
Leadership at the BSP is not about titles but about everyday actions.
Some pupils may seem to receive all the accolades, but there are undoubtedly leadership opportunities for all. Perhaps we are wise to promote the leadership opportunities that come, not with title or accolade, but are done for the benefit of others, for the good of the community, for the realisation of shared goals. If we do our job well as educators, as the guides of personal development (be we teachers or parents), then we will provide the world with both influencers and leaders that it so desperately requires for the benefit of the global community.
Nicholas Hammond
Headmaster
