What made you want to become a pastoral prefect?

Charlotte: I wanted to become a pastoral prefect as I wanted the chance to interact with and aide younger students and help bridge the gap between sixth formers and the younger students of the BGS community. Pastoral prefects make older students more approachable to younger ones which is something I am passionate about. The chance to even play a small part in making the school experience of a student better and more positive is something I don’t take for granted.

James: Amongst personal motivations to develop strong leadership skills, my desire to support others, and build a positive school environment that is more pleasant for everyone to be in also made me want to become a prefect.

What was the application process like?

Charlotte: The process started about halfway through year 12 and we had to fill out a form explaining why we would like to be a prefect and what would make us a good fit to be a pastoral prefect. These forms were scored and ranked and then the top 40 became prefects and we were split into pastoral and school prefects.

James: It was relatively simple with filling out a form in which we wrote about our qualities and what we have done in school- something that later proved useful when writing my CV for degree apprenticeship applications.

What training did you undertake?

Charlotte: As a pastoral prefect, I undertook MHFA England’s Youth Mental Health Aware Course. We spent half a day discussing how to tackle different mental health situations appropriately and how to keep both us and the young person safe. We learnt how to care for a young person and, more importantly, how to flag any concerns. This training made us fully equipped to help younger students should a problem arise.

James: We underwent an external youth mental health first aid course teaching us about how to deal with problems students may come to us with. I also underwent pastoral prefect training run by the school in which the expectations of the role were explained alongside how it would work.

What does your role involve?

Charlotte: I am a year 7 pastoral prefect which means I help the head of year as and when needed. This year, I have helped with the year 7 transition day and warmly welcomed the new students to BGS. I have also introduced myself to forms so that all students know who

I am and they know that they can come speak to me whenever they need to. Depending on year group, prefects also run revision sessions and help clubs for students wanting to revise and work. All pastoral prefects spend one lunchtime a week running board games club on the learning link which is a great opportunity for younger students to connect with the prefects and talk about how things are going.

James: It involves running a daily ‘board games club’ in which all the prefects contribute half their lunch a week to run- this means younger students who may feel lonely have somewhere to go at lunch and also people know where they can find us. It also involves helping plan and run school assemblies that promote mental health. Some prefects also get paired to mentor students who need a bit of extra help.

What is the best part about being a pastoral prefect?

Charlotte: The best part about my role is connecting with younger students and encouraging them to get involved with extracurricular activities and societies which are a great way to meet people and make friends across all school years. I also enjoy seeing the positive effects that the friendly faces of the pastoral prefects make to the BGS family and seeing the positive impact we have to students across the school is really encouraging and reassures us that what we do makes a difference.

James: Planning and filming content with other students for a video in a whole school Friday assembly.

What kind of issues do students need to talk about?

Charlotte: Students talk about a variety of things to pastoral prefects. Sometimes people want to talk about their day and how their lessons have been and other times they may come with a concern or worry such as exam stress, time management and problems with friendship groups. We are fully prepared to offer support, guidance and encourage people to seek help from staff where appropriate.

James: A range- from careers advice to how do deal with small friendship issues.

What skills have you gained from becoming a pastoral prefect?

Charlotte: Becoming a pastoral prefect has helped me develop effective communication; especially the ability to engage with a wide range of students. It has given me insight into how important being an active listener is and being a reliable presence for others is a quality I will carry forward. Acting as a role model for younger students has strengthened my sense of leadership and responsibility.

James: I have gained public speaking skills in helping write and deliver an assembly to the whole school about how sport has helped me and others overcome ‘winter blues’ and other mentally tough moments. I have also gained better teamwork and communication skills.

What would your advice be to anyone who is considering applying to be a pastoral prefect in the future?

Charlotte: Get involved with the school community and be invested in the opportunities that the school offers. Have a desire to meet and get to know people across all the years as the role requires you to be a friend for anyone of any age. Be open to responsibility and the possibility that students may rely on you for support. Being a pastoral prefect is a great opportunity to step up and take some leadership within the school.

James: Spend a decent amount of time on the application form, as even if it isn’t successful, it is useful practise for writing your personal statement and CV later on in Year 13.