AS THE current Year 11s are ready to leave, having completed their GCSEs, it can only mean one thing – time to elect the new head boy and head girl from Year 10.

On the last day of the spring term, a group of panellists including headteacher Phil Loftus, elected Sam Craggs as the new head boy and Sophie Mort as the new head girl.

I interviewed these new student leaders about their new role.

Why did you apply to become head boy/girl?

Sam: Personally, I wanted a role which gave me the responsibility to have a say in college life and because I thought it would look superb on my CV.

Sophie: I applied because I wanted to have a say in and around school and also because I thought the role would give me a new type of confidence boost.

How to you feel about achieving the role?

Sam: I feel very surprised because I was up against some very tough competition and I feel hopeful that I can succeed in the role to the best of my ability.

Sophie: I feel very proud about receiving this title and it makes me even more proud because I am head girl at Norton College.

What are you looking forward to the most about the being head boy/girl?

Sam: I am looking most forward to having a say on what happens at Norton College and also to help others give their feedback on our school.

Sophie: I am looking most forward to being part of the team which helps organise our leavers prom, as I get to have a say on what I would like it to be like.

What is your favourite subject?

Sam: Art, as I love to be creative and fun. I also enjoy maths because I find it interesting.

Sophie: Drama because I love performing in front of people.

Has there been any advice which has helped you through your college life?

Sam: I think the best piece of advice you can have is to always work to the best of your ability.

Sophie: I think the best piece of advice is to have confidence in yourself and never let anyone say that you are not good enough.

What do you think a good role model looks like?

Sam: A perfect role model is someone who is dedicated, hard-working and loves what they are doing.

Sophie: A good role model is someone who has great confidence in themselves and others. They also follow the rules but are not entirely perfect.

What are your personal aims as head boy/girl?

Sam: My aims are to improve the school for the better. I will do this by taking other students’ feedback on board and use it to benefit school life for both the staff and students.

Sophie: My main aim is to get Pupil Voice up to its full capabilities and also to try to encourage fellow students to contribute their feedback in order to move the school forward.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

Sam: I would like to see myself in a great job, in which I enjoy. I would like to be a maths teacher.

Sophie: I will hopefully see myself in London, performing on the West End stage in some sort of performing arts career such as an actor or a dancer.

Finally, how would you sum up Norton College?

Sam: Norton College is an intelligent and fun-loving school which presents itself very well to the wider community.

Sophie: I think Norton College is a great place to be because it has a very friendly and warm atmosphere.

Report by by TED WELFORD

 

Pupil Voice speaks out for college students

PUPIL Voice is a group of students at Norton College who have chosen to have their say in the school and help organise enrichment and charity events.

They have frequent meetings with the headteacher Phil Loftus to help to make improvements in the pupils’ learning and to help to make decisions on what is best for the students.

So far, Pupil Voice has helped to run many charity events to raise funds for Louby’s Lifeline, Children in Need, Comic Relief, Sports Relief and Alex Bradley’s chosen charity, Brake, a road safety charity. The Pupil Voice team organises what events will be held and they act as the student leaders during the event.

Pupil Voice have recently organised an enrichment afternoon. Members took a leadership role, choosing activities, liaising with members of staff and assisting with the organisation of the event. They wanted the students to experience something different from ordinary lessons. The Pupil Voice team also attends governors’ meetings.

The team can contribute their ideas on behalf of all the students at Norton College with the main focus being teaching and learning, home learning and active engagement. Pupil Voice is keen on knowing exactly what Norton College students want and need. To do this the team create questionnaires and send them out to mentors for the students to complete. They then collate the information and their views are considered and used in meetings with the staff senior leadership team.

Pupil Voice are currently working on a Take-Over Day, which is where students in the school put themselves up for selection to work alongside a member of staff, planning and team teaching a lesson. This is a very powerful in terms of teaching and learning at Norton College.

Other roles on the day include, running assemblies, reception work, running the farm and acting as governors. The head boy, Sam Craggs, and head girl, Sophie Mort, will be taking the reins with Mr Loftus.

It is a very exciting opportunity for staff and students at Norton College to work in partnership to improve teaching and learning.

 

Interview with Gemma Williams

What is your role in Norton College?

I am the deputy pastoral leader and I am in charge of the Pupil Voiceand the senior student team. I organise awards and celebration assemblies and I support the journalism team.

Why do you think Pupil Voice is so important?

The students are the essence of this school and should have a voice regarding their learning and the wider college community.

How is Pupil Voice developing at Norton College?

The culture of it is moving forward massively. We have just finished the interview process for head boy and head girl and we now have an amazing senior student team of 42 students. They are a delight to work with and are very pro-active with moving this forward.

You were a big part in the Options process for Year 9. What options did you pick when you were in Year 9 and why?

Drama because I like it, geography because I wanted to travel, French and German because I wanted to work abroad and I know that having a language looks very good on your CV and food tech, because I love eating.

When you were younger, what did you want to do as a career?

I really wanted to be a nursery nurse, but I didn’t want to leave education and I went to study theatre, film and television at university and later trained to become a teacher.

Outside of school, what are your favourite hobbies?

Going to theatre, amateur dramatics and watching rugby union.

What do you plan to do in your future career?

I have a variety of jobs within my role so it keeps me very busy and motivated. Every day is different so I am currently challenged in a many ways. I thoroughly enjoy the job that I do.

The questions were put in this interview by BETH COATESWORTH