One of our Head Prefects, Bea, has written the following reflection on the day:
The annual Heads of School annual conference took place on the 25th of September in the beautiful city of Wells. Hosted by Wells Cathedral School, the event effectively prepares Upper Sixth student leaders and head pupils to lead with confidence, skill and integrity. The day features interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and practical strategy sharing.
The workshops that Esme and I took part in included leadership and problem solving, public speaking and team building, as well as insightful lectures from experts in leadership. I personally enjoyed the talk on effective management and how to approach a meeting. It taught me how to maximise the short durations of meetings while handling different personalities, and how best to delegate tasks whilst still encouraging everyone.
Furthermore, during the more physical team building exercises, I was able to perceive how the behaviour of a leader can have different effects on the rest of the team.
The practical nature of the conference gave our Head Prefects the opportunity not only to consider the qualities of effective leadership, but also to put those ideas into practice. The workshops encouraged them to reflect on their own leadership styles and consider how their actions and decisions can influence those around them.
As the day came to a close, Bea reflected on the wider value of the experience:
By the end of the day, everyone in attendance had developed a better understanding of how to be a good leader and a positively influential role model. However, it was also a day of making new friendships, creating useful connections with other student leaders, building a network from which to draw support if needed in future.
The conference provided a valuable opportunity for our Head Prefects to develop their leadership skills while representing the school alongside other young leaders. The lessons and connections made at Wells will be valuable as they continue in their roles and support the wider school community throughout the year.
We are grateful to Bea for taking the time to reflect on the experience and share her account of what was an inspiring and valuable day of leadership development.