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Dynamic student leadership in action as School Dynamics helps Heathfield School’s Year 12s run their school for a day, learning about leadership and supporting Kids Company charity
There’s more to running a school than just turning up for class, as Heathfield School’s Year 12 students found out this year. On Thursday 1st July, as part of the School’s annual Leadership Challenge Week, Year 12 took responsibility for running the school, for one day only, delivering a varied programme of educational and entertaining team-building tasks and activities.
This project was planned and organised over many months by a leadership team of nine Year 12 students, who received leadership and business training, coaching and mentoring throughout from the leadership and marketing experts Sharon Pink and Peter Oliver from School Dynamics.
The girls chose a theme of Female Role Models to underpin their One Special Day. They divided the school students into teams to research and assess the contribution and achievements of 12 historical and present-day role models, including Jane Addams, Alice Paul, Wangari Maathai, Mother Teresa, Dame Anita Roddick, Kelly Holmes, J K Rowling, Martha Lane Fox and Camila Batmanghelidjh, the inspirational founder of Kids Company. Teams were then asked to give presentations to a panel of judges. The Lord Mayor of Harrow presented awards to the winning teams: Most informative presentation – Alice Paul team; Most original – J.K. Rowling team and two awards for the Best Teamwork and Most Overall presentation went to the Camila Batmangheligjh team.
The One Special Day leadership team arranged tombolas, table sales and other events to raise funds for Kids Company and delivered a special Assembly to promote and celebrate the work of the charity.
Imagine their delight, then, when at lunchtime on their One Special Day, Camila Batmanghelidjh arrived to celebrate their achievements with them and to hear all about their leadership training across the year.
The charity is supported by the School Dynamics team and was adopted by Year 12 in this year’s programme.
Nick Hurd, MP for Pinner, Ruislip & Northwood, said: “I hope this is a day that everyone will remember for all the right reasons! As Minister for Charities I would like to congratulate the girls for all their fund-raising for Kids Company – a charity that does extraordinary things to help transform lives.”
Throughout the year, the Year 12 leadership team made huge strides in learning about leadership, teamwork, managing and motivating teams, planning and organising and communication. Leading the One Special Day leadership team is Fojan, who says, “
We are very grateful for the unique opportunity given to us. It enhanced our leadership skills considerably. We were particularly delighted, and it was a real privilege, to share this experience with Camilla Batmanghelidjh. We were very proud to present her with a cheque which will benefit her charity in many ways and we look forward to working with her again. There was a natural flow to each of the activities with help from our peers, which outlined their leadership skills. Special thanks must go to Sharon Pink and Peter Oliver, from Screen Idol, as this day would not have been half as successful without their guidance and support
.”
Camila Batmangheligjh said “I’m delighted that the money raised will be able to pay for an Art Workshop with a trained art therapist to help some vulnerable children who need emotional support and would not have this opportunity without your efforts. Be very proud of yourselves.”
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