At Notting Hill there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and take the lead in areas students feel passionately about.

From KS1 in Junior School through to Year 13, students are encouraged to take on leadership roles. In Junior School there are over 40 positions, ranging from Junior School Councillors (Years 1-6) to the Year 6 Leadership roles which include Team- and Vice Captains, Librarians and Music, Sports and Science Leaders.

In Senior School there is scope for students to take on more than 200 leadership roles. In the Sixth Form we have our Head Girl and Head Girl Team, Games Captain, House Captains and Year 12 Subject Reps. Every form has two Form Reps and two charity Reps from Year 7-11. There are also Form Houses Reps Year 8s have the chance to become a Lower School Leader, with more other Form-based roles for Year 7 and 8 include Sports Reps, Food Reps and Assembly Reps.

This month we are launching new leadership roles for our Year 9 and 10 students. In Year 10 girls are offered the opportunity to join the Year 10 Leadership Programme. This introduces specific roles which the girls may apply for: Debating & Public Speaking Leads, Journalist Leads, Eco-Reps, Digital Leads, Volunteering Leads, Social Affairs Leads and Interfaith Leads. The idea of the programme is that each girl who takes on one of these roles comes up with her own ideas to do something meaningful around the school – to make a real and tangible difference.

Our Debating Leads’ roles are about injecting fun and civility into discussing important issues that matter to our students. Opportunities to lead also include hosting student/staff debates and informal House events, helping host Model United Nations events, mentoring younger students entering competitions. Our Journalist Leads will learn how to craft headlines and write for different audiences as they capture life at NHEHS through regular articles for the school’s website, newsletter and social media. Our Eco Reps will design and deliver a behaviour change campaign to encourage active, responsible travel and road safety. There will be project work as well as workshops and walking/cycling challenges as well as the opportunity to work with TfL and Ealing Borough.

The Year 10 Volunteering Reps will lead and direct the Ealing Mencap Volunteer Events Committee and discuss and put into action social event ideas for the members of Ealing Mencap Charity. The Digital Leads will work with Mr Khan to lead and shape how technology is used throughout the school, acting as technology advocates within the school, leading sessions and assemblies. They will also support teachers and students ensuring that they are using tech effectively as well as e-safety training.

The Social Affairs Leads will be encouraged to gather pupil voice on Social Affairs from across the year group, attend/chair the regular committee meetings, discuss and act on Social Affairs issues and come up with ideas on how to improve aspects such as Diversity and Inclusion. Our Interfaith Leads will explore ways in which our faiths can be recognised, publicised, shared and celebrated as part of a diverse community while ensuring that cultural and religious diversity is understood, and different festivals celebrated.

The Year 9 Leadership Programme has been expanded this year to include three new roles with Science Publication Leads, Social Affairs Leads and Interfaith Leads joining the established Humanitarian Leads and Wellbeing Leads.

Keen Year 9 scientists will be able as Science Publication Leads to work with the Year 13s to edit our science department newsletter, The Franklin and also write and gather other students’ articles for the publication.  Our Wellbeing Leads will attend regular Wellbeing meetings and attend a course to become Mental Health ambassadors for the school. They will explore, discuss, decide & put into action responses to Wellbeing issues using findings from pupil voice and their own research. The group will also plan and organise events to mark ‘Mental Health Week’ and ‘Anti Bullying Week’ including helping with assemblies and events. The Year 9 Humanitarian Leads will have the opportunities to get involved in ethical issues, including raising awareness of Human Rights Day and Fairtrade. 

Students are encouraged to apply for the roles by mid-October by writing a short letter of application to Mr Henderson, with the new roles to be taken up in November.