The importance of leadership

Our School mission outlines our four core principles of Learning, Leadership, Faith and Service, and the school’s leadership programme encompasses all of these.  The development of leadership skills and, more precisely, ethical leadership skills are core to our mission at the Cathedral School.  In a rapidly changing and increasingly challenging world, our young people need the strength and resilience to follow their own convictions doing what is right because they know it to be so.  As for the inherent difficulty with the notion of ethical leadership, i.e. the definition of ‘right’, the answer for us is a relatively easy one, borne of our Christian foundation and strong sense of British Values which provide much guidance in this regard. 

We read that leaders who are ethical demonstrate integrity that breeds trustworthiness.  Such leaders are people-oriented and aware of the impact of their decisions on others and decision making by such leaders will serve the greater good and not be self-serving.  So in a practical sense how do we achieve this in a school environment?  Well, the Cathedral School pupil will be on their ethical leadership pathway from early years through to Sixth Form.  The duties and responsibilities embedded in the School experience are designed to provide ongoing opportunities for development of these skills and pupils are given increasing levels of responsibility as they journey through the School.

Cathedral School pupils are book monitors, playground buddies, chapel stewards, sports leaders, prefects, librarians, heads of co-curricular societies and subject Ambassadors.  They are Heads of House and Heads of School, captains of sports teams and musical and dramatic ensembles, they are Duke of Edinburgh participants and they are a community of glorious individuals with a sense of what is right.

This week I had the pleasure of spending the day with two Year 6 pupils who were ’Heads for a Day’.  They were tremendously impressive and made my day so much fun.  It is a joy to see leadership skills emerging at all ages and I’m certain these two have many successes ahead. 

It is our privilege to work with such pupils – I very much look forward to seeing just how high our current pupils will fly.  The sky’s the limit.

Inservi Deo et laetare!