Pupil Leadership and Formation

At St Philomena’s, we believe that every child is created with unique gifts and talents which should be developed and placed at the service of others. Our children leadership programme is an intentional part of our commitment to forming confident, compassionate and responsible young leaders who understand that true leadership is founded on service, humility and a desire to make a positive contribution.

Rooted in our Catholic mission, we develop leaders who strive for excellence, show respect and serve others. Children are taught that leadership is not about position or privilege, but about responsibility, kindness and using their gifts to support the common good. Through meaningful leadership opportunities, children develop the character, confidence and skills required to become active and responsible members of their school, parish and wider community.

Our leadership programme provides carefully planned opportunities for children across the school to develop communication, teamwork, organisation and decision-making skills. Leaders are given authentic responsibilities which allow them to represent others, support younger children, promote our values and contribute positively to the life of the school.

Senior Pupil Leaders

Our senior pupil leaders are:

• Head Boy

• Head Girl

• Deputy Head Boy

• Deputy Head Girl

Our senior leaders act as ambassadors for St Philomena’s. They represent the pupil body, support school events, welcome visitors and model our expectations of excellence, respect and service.

Leadership Team Support Prefects

Our Leadership Team Support Prefects include:

• Office Prefects

• Headteacher Prefects

• Deputy Headteacher Prefects

These roles give children opportunities to support the wider work of the school while developing confidence, communication, organisation and responsibility.

Specialist Leadership Roles

Sports Captains

Our Sports Captains promote teamwork, participation, resilience and positive attitudes towards physical activity and competition.

Wellbeing Leaders

Our Wellbeing Leaders promote kindness, inclusion and positive relationships, helping us to maintain a caring and supportive school community.

House Leadership

Our House Captains encourage belonging, teamwork and healthy competition across the school:

• Walsingham House Captain

• Canterbury House Captain

• Aylesford House Captain

• Faversham House Captain

House leaders encourage participation, support House activities and help strengthen relationships between children across different year groups.

Year Group Prefects

Each year group has appointed prefects who model positive behaviour, support other children and act as role models within their phase.

Our pupil leadership structure includes:

• Year 1 Prefects

• Year 2 Prefects

• Year 3 Prefects

• Year 4 Prefects

• Year 5 Prefects

Chicken Leaders and Head Gardener

Our Chicken Leaders and Head Gardener have a particularly important role in caring for our school environment.

By helping to care for our animals and gardens, children develop responsibility, stewardship and an understanding of what it means to care for God’s creation. These practical roles encourage respect, compassion and an appreciation of our responsibility to protect the world around us.

Subject Ambassadors

We believe that leadership opportunities should enable children to share their individual strengths, interests and talents with others.

Alongside our prefect structure, we have a network of Subject Ambassadors across the curriculum. These roles enable children to take an active part in promoting a love of learning and celebrating excellence in different areas of school life.

Subject Ambassadors are chosen for their enthusiasm, commitment and positive attitudes towards learning. Working alongside subject leaders, they may gather pupil voice, share ideas, support curriculum events, celebrate excellent work and encourage other children to participate in subject-related opportunities.

Our Subject Ambassador roles include:

• Computing Ambassador

• Art Ambassador

• Design Technology Ambassador

• History and Geography Ambassador

• Science Ambassador

• Religious Education Ambassador

• English Ambassador

• Maths Ambassador

Whether encouraging a love of reading, promoting scientific curiosity, celebrating creativity, developing mathematical thinking or helping children understand faith and the wider world, our Subject Ambassadors help to create a culture in which learning is valued and celebrated.

School Council

Our School Council provides children with a meaningful opportunity to have a voice, represent their peers and contribute to the life of the school.

Council members listen to the views and ideas of other children and help ensure that pupil voice contributes positively to our school community.

The School Council is led by our Head Boy and Head Girl, providing an important link between pupil voice and senior pupil leadership.

Leadership Formation and Development

Leadership at St Philomena’s is intentionally developed.

Prefects, pupil leaders and Subject Ambassadors receive guidance and support to understand both the responsibilities of their roles and the importance of leading by example.

Through leadership, children develop:

• confidence and communication

• teamwork and collaboration

• organisation and responsibility

• problem-solving and decision-making

• resilience and empathy

• the ability to listen to and represent others

Our approach is rooted in our Catholic mission and our commitment to developing the whole child — academically, spiritually, socially and personally.

Children are encouraged to understand leadership through the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, including human dignity, solidarity, service, stewardship and the common good.

The Impact of Pupil Leadership

Pupil leadership makes an important contribution to the culture of St Philomena’s.

Through their responsibilities, children learn that their voices matter and that their actions can make a positive difference. They learn to listen to others, represent their peers, care for their community and use their individual gifts and talents in the service of others.

Whether supporting younger children, representing a curriculum subject, promoting wellbeing, caring for creation or contributing to wider school life, our pupils learn that leadership is ultimately about service.

Our ambition is for every child to leave St Philomena’s as a confident, compassionate and responsible young person who understands the importance of using their God-given gifts for others.

In doing so, our pupil leaders live out our mission to:

Strive for Excellence. Act with Respect. Serve our community.