Ed Tolputt, Head of Sixth Form
Leadership is central to the ethos of Cokethorpe School. From the moment of arrival, pupils are encouraged to inspire others through their actions; they learn that good leadership is to be kind, to be bold, to be thoughtful, to be humble, and to be fun. As they join the Sixth Form, students may apply for a Leadership Grant. The scheme celebrates those who lead by example in all that they do – be it academic, music, drama, sport, or community involvement.
Students in the Sixth Form are treated as adults, and as such, are allowed to determine much of their day-to-day experience. Like a university student union, students organise their own socials, run their own competitions, and initiate their own fundraising projects. The Sixth Form Centre is their space, and they treat it with respect. Freedom and ownership demand good leadership: running a committee requires planning, collaboration, negotiation, persuasion, and compromise, and students develop skills not directly taught in the classroom. They also develop pride and loyalty to each other, and to the school, becoming natural, honest and well-informed ambassadors. They guide visitors, they present to prospective pupils and parents, and they give advice.
But, above all, they show leadership, through kindness and encouragement, to those younger in the school. Students are assigned to a lower-year tutor group; daily they give support and subject help, run quizzes, deliver themed workshops and more. It is an initiative that hangs entirely upon the students’ creative initiative, and they enjoy the challenge. They may also volunteer for the Peer Mentor scheme, which provides a listening service for those who may be anxious, unhappy, or unsure.
The Sixth Form students remember when they were young in the school. They remember listening to the prefects in assembly, watching the lead actors in the school play, and admiring the skill and competition of the elite sportsmen and women. They remember being inspired to dream more, to learn more, to do more and to become more.
And so, they pass it on.
