Leadership Reflections for Year 11
This past Tuesday 20 August, Year 11 students participated in our annual Leadership Day. At Shore, Leadership is not about maximising oneself, but about serving others. This was a central theme throughout the day. In their respective addresses, Dr Collier and Reverend Benn both emphasised that true leadership is grounded in servant leadership—being a man for others, putting in the hard work with humility and determination, and understanding that effective leaders are those who can also follow.
Leadership at Shore is about accountability and teamwork. Every Year 12 student is considered a leader, and it’s essential that they step up and work together to guide the school and student body, whether they hold an official title or not.
Our guest speaker, Ms Peita Piper, parent and CEO of Avenue Bank, provided invaluable insights into corporate leadership through her thoughtful and engaging address. Drawing from her experiences as a leader and CEO, she highlighted the necessity of making tough decisions, being brave, prioritising effectively, and staying open to learning from everyone. Peita also stressed the importance of language and tone and the need for leaders to be hands-on with an eye for detail.
Jesse Cochrane, our 2023 Second Prefect, shared his experiences as part of the Prefect body, offering the boys a candid look at student leadership at Shore. He spoke about the importance of teamwork, the challenges of leading among friends and peers, and the courage it takes to be an upstander.
Mr Huw Blood, our Head of Service Learning, then spoke about the links between service and leadership, encouraging the boys to get involved in our service programme. He emphasised the opportunities in service to lead and mentor younger students and the significance of community work in helping those less fortunate.
Mr McCormack and I then hosted a short reflection session on the key themes of the day and encouraged boys to share how the day had challenged their ideas and assumptions about leadership. The boys engaged very well throughout the session and provided some important reflections and commentary.
Dr Mansfield concluded the formal part of the day with an overview of the leadership selection process at Shore. He explained how students can apply and how staff select Prefects, highlighting the importance of character in leadership.
The day wrapped up with the boys working in their House groups, guided by their Housemasters, to discuss how they can lead within their Houses, take on important leadership roles, and begin preparing their submissions to Housemasters for various leadership positions.
This Leadership Day was a crucial step for Year 11 as the School begins the process of selecting our Senior leaders. We are grateful to all who contributed and spoke, and to the boys for their thoughtful participation in discussions about good leadership, service, and character.
Year 11 students will continue to engage with the concept of leadership, and following exams, they will have another session to reflect on their journey and the goals they set for themselves at Step-Up Camp earlier this year.
Mr D Champion
Deputy Head, Pastoral Care