Autumn 2005

Leadership

Waverley Links Student Leadership Program

A student leadership program sees five schools cluster to support the development of their elected student leaders, reports KERRY CLAYTON-ROBERTSON.

THE ‘WAVERLEY LINKS’ group of Victorian State primary schools, in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, has a passionate and sustained history for student leadership development. The schools are located within a 10-kilometre radius of each other and enjoy professional collegiality through joint curriculum days, student enrichment programs and social events such as student discos.

The schools recognise that, as with staff members given leadership responsibilities, student leaders need professional development to support them to fulfill their roles effectively and confidently.

The Waverley Links schools group has been committed to an evolving Student Leadership Program to support elected student leaders over a number of years. Originally, the schools clustered together due to commonality in size, location, cultural diversity and educational philosophies, and deliberately forged strong bonds because they recognised the benefits for students. In a way, the group was ahead of its time. (The current preferred model within the Victorian State education system is one of schools collaborating, cooperating and clustering in a climate of collegiality, support and participation.)

The Student Leadership Program is implemented at an agreed time during first semester each year, as each school has selected their student leaders by term one. The course is conducted over two days within the space of a week. School and sports house captains from each school attend the program, totalling 50 students. Students enthusiastically anticipate their involvement in the program, drawing on knowledge from previous student participants.

All leadership positions should have explicit and clear responsibilities. If students are expected to perform duties such as public speaking; listening to and clarifying the issues of the student body they represent; writing articles for school newsletters; conducting, chairing and participating in formal student meetings; and modelling the preferred values of the school, a program such as this provides a supportive forum to explore the principles and practicalities within these expectations.

Some leadership capabilities may be innate to some students; however, all effective leaders need explicit instruction and focused experiences to help them identify and develop the necessary skills, capabilities and attributes required. The Curriculum Planning Guidelines of the Victorian Department of Education and Training’s Office of Teaching and Learning state that to build capacity in students, they should be given the opportunities to:

• develop functional social competencies and resilience
• have an appreciation of diversity positive valuing of self and conscious personal and social values
• work in teams with an ability to cooperate, communicate and negotiate
• problem solve, risk take, think creatively and make effective decisions.

Student leaders from the Waverley Links schools are initially provided with a real-life model of leadership within a local community setting. They visit the local council offices to meet the mayor and to gain a greater understanding of processes and decision making within local government. The students gain an appreciation of meeting protocols and the importance of open and transparent decision making. They learn the importance of documenting meeting discussions/ motions and the terminology required. Exposure to their local governing body and premises is a very new experience for the students, which enriches and broadens their knowledge about their own community.

An important component of the program is to enjoy and learn from this experience as a newly formed network of students who have yet to learn about each other. The shared experiences of visiting the local council provides a basis for the development of common understandings and supports conversation and other occasions for further dialogue. The students travel by bus to the different venues visited over the two days, thereby allowing further opportunities to talk, discuss, share, socialise and learn from each other along the way.

An important and formal part of the program is the workshop conducted by the school support officers from a number of the Waverley Links schools. Over a three-hour session, the students participate in activities facilitated by a speech pathologist and psychologist who explore the question: What makes an effective leader? The facilitators draw out the concepts of empathic listening, approachability, sympathy, confidence and integrity. Through a range of ice-breaker activities, the students interact with each other in a relaxed and non-threatening way. Problem-solving and decision-making scenarios are introduced to help students focus on social dilemmas that they may confront in their own schools. The facilitators use a variety of stimuli such as video, drama, written text and posters, and fluid groupings to acknowledge the different learning styles and needs of the student participants.

Effective communication is explored in great detail in the program. It assists students to understand that good communication means being aware of their language choice, the use of voice for different circumstances and audiences, the use of body language and facial expressions, knowledge of content and the use of visual aids in supporting their message. Students are introduced to the notion of ‘I’ statements to help underpin the concept of assertiveness when working with other students or working through their own dilemmas regarding peer influences and pressure. This of course is a significant aspect of the program, given that these students are in the middle years of schooling (years 5–9). Participation in junior school council meetings or sports house meetings is a practical application for the use of these skills and capabilities.

By the end of the first day, each student is keen to share their experiences at their own school and look forward to the second day when they visit each of the five schools. At each venue, the students play ‘host’ to the other students, providing a guided tour and a short welcome speech that includes a self-profile and their role within the school.

In preparation for the school visits, students draw on the knowledge they have gained and can call on further support from their teacher or principal. The students require further explicit, contextual instruction and understanding of purpose and audience at their own school. The school tours allow students to further network with the other student leaders by visiting each other’s learning communities.

The program culminates in a barbecue and presentation of certificates to recognise the leadership achievements of the students. The Eastern Metropolitan Regional Director of the Department of Education and Training addresses the students with words of encouragement and support, and acknowledges the task they have before them.

The Waverley Links Student Leadership Program is unique in that it provides a sound and innovative approach to supporting and developing students as leaders within their schools and beyond. The many stakeholders involved are to be commended for a rich and visionary approach to supporting the development of independent, resilient and autonomous young people.

The Waverley Links schools are: Brandon Park Primary School, Highvale Primary School, Monash Primary School, Pinewood Primary School and Syndal South Primary School.

Kerry Clayton-Robertson is acting principal at Monash Primary School.

The author owns the copyright in this article. For information related to the reuse of this work in any form please contact the publisher denise.quinn@curriculum.edu.au