Introducing Junior Prefects

At Berkhamsted, we believe in encouraging pupils to explore leadership opportunities from a young age. This year, we introduced a Junior Prefect programme for Year 8 pupils to take on a valuable role within their House and work with the Senior Prefect team.

Year 10 Prefects led a training session to prepare the Junior Prefects for Trinity term, guiding them through a series of interactive activities designed to deepen their understanding of self-leadership and leading others. The training is grounded in the eight key leadership skills identified by the Institute for Management Development: Relationship Building, Agility and Adaptability, Innovation and Creativity, Employee Motivation, Decision-Making, Conflict Management, Negotiation, and Critical Thinking.

Pupils were tasked with considering how they can support the Senior Prefect team in developing their House community based on a shared vision. They reflected on the leadership roles they could take on – not only within their House but also in the wider School community. The training explored what it means to be a leader and emphasised relationship-based, collaborative leadership over a hierarchical model.

The Year 8 pupils displayed exceptional engagement and thoughtful contributions throughout the session, while the Year 10 Prefects demonstrated impressive leadership, strengthening connections across the year groups. It was clear that all pupils were eager to initiate positive action within their Houses.

The introduction of this new programme reinforces our commitment to nurturing the leadership skills essential for success both in School and beyond. Drawing on our School value of Serving Others, this opportunity enables pupils to make a real difference within their community.

Interesting in learning more about how Berkhamsted develops remarkable people? Book on to our upcoming Open Events now.