Student Voice and Leadership Opportunities
MLC School’s strategic vision ensures every girl is known, challenged, and supported. Leadership is embedded in pastoral care, experiential learning, and co-curricular programs, fostering moral courage, adaptability, and a commitment to positive change.
In the Junior and Senior Schools the girls have multiple opportunities to develop their leadership skills and get involved in student-led initiatives that allow them to have their voices heard. Leadership is a goal accessible for all, from classroom helpers of Pre-Kindergarten to Year 2, to the leadership roles for all of Year 5.
Student Representative Council (SRC)
Student Representative Council provides an opportunity for all students to contribute to their school. SRC discusses changes and improvements they would like to make to the school environment and work together to make these changes happen.
The SRC works together to ensure the voice of all students is listened to. Past achievements include organising school activities and working with the Round Square committee to run Round Square Week, a celebration of international diversity.
Peer Support
Year 10 students took on the role of Peer Support Leaders, guiding and mentoring our Year 7 students. This program is a valuable leadership opportunity, and it was wonderful to hear current Year 11 students reflect on how much they gained from the experience last year. Our Year 10 Peer Support Leaders did a fantastic job, showing care, initiative, and leadership in engaging the Year 7 students to participate in pastoral care activities.
Lean In Girls Leadership Program
Year 8 students have embarked on the ‘Lean In Girls Leadership Program’. The program aims to empower girls to view themselves as leaders in a world that often tells them otherwise. It encourages them to become self-assured, resilient, and inclusive everyday leaders, inspiring them to lead boldly.
Statistics reveal that fewer than one in four girls aged 8 years – 17 years consider being a leader as very important, and nearly 50% believe that speaking their minds makes them unlikeable. This program is designed to equip students with the confidence and skills to be self-assured, resilient, and inclusive leaders.
The program commenced this week with students exploring the concept of leadership. They unpacked a definition of leadership to determine whether they connected with it and considered any components they might add or remove.
In addition to the leadership program, Year 8 students have also begun participating in a community initiative in partnership with Inner West Neighbour Aid. This program allows seniors to connect and lead active, social, and independent lives. Some Year 8 students have volunteered to be involved with this community group, and this week they had their first visits with some of the seniors. The students organised games and activities to engage with the seniors and spend quality time with them. The feedback from the initial sessions has been overwhelmingly positive, and the students should be very proud of their efforts.
Year 5 Leadership Program
During Year 5 all Junior School girls step up to learn about service leadership, with many opportunities to apply their understanding and skills through lived experiences. Every Year 5 girl has a captain or monitor role and each one of them will have opportunities to step up and lead a school activity or initiative. When the girls transition to Year 6, the primary focus becomes their formation as learners, in readiness for secondary education.
Junior School Student Council (JSSC)
The JSSC representatives are elected at the beginning of each year and are the voice of the students in their class. They bring issues to be discussed at each meeting, which are then escalated to the staff and leadership as necessary.
A key responsibility of the JSSC is organising the annual Stay and Play event that fundraises for student-driven initiatives in the Junior School.
At the final Year 12 Assembly, our 2025 School Captain, Marirose, spoke beautifully about how perceptions of time change as you move through school and how now, as the graduating students look back, each of those moments suddenly seem to have passed so quickly. Suddenly they are on the precipice of graduation and all that lies ahead.
Many families chose to mark their daughter’s time at MLC School with a commemorative paver. These pavers are located at the main entrance to the School and are regularly visited and viewed by past and prospective families and stand as a record of each girl’s part in MLC School’s rich history. I encourage you to take a look next time you visit that part of the School, together the pavers paint the story of the rich history of the School and the many generations of students who have passed through the School gates.
Our School Captain Marirose, and Vice Captains Lefki and Evie, along with the team of Portfolio Captains and Prefects have not only led with vision, commitment and joy but have been wonderful role models for our younger students and contributed across all areas of school life. The 2025 Student Leadership team set themselves the goal of building School and House Spirit and they have been remarkably successful in doing so.
We wish our graduating class all the very best for the future and know that their time at MLC School has equipped them with knowledge, skills, friendships, and experiences that will enable them to navigate whatever lies ahead.
I am delighted to introduce and extend our warmest congratulations to the 2026 Student Leadership Team, who have been chosen after canvassing the opinion of the student body and a two-stage interview process.
Their selection is a testament to their character and the respect they have earned among their fellow students. We look forward to witnessing the positive impact they will make throughout the coming year as they lead with enthusiasm, integrity, and a strong sense of School spirit.
Importantly, I also acknowledge and thank the 2025 student leadership team who have made their mark on the School and the students over the past 12 months.
– Lisa Moloney
Principal