Student Leadership

Primary Overview

   

Infant School – Forest School 

Forest School Leaders

Forest School fosters student leadership through a holistic and innovative approach to education, emphasising the development of Social, Physical, Intellectual, Communication, Emotional, and Spiritual skills (SPICES). In this outdoor learning environment, students engage in hands-on activities like building shelters and learning knots, which cultivate teamwork and problem-solving abilities, and requires them to collaborate and make collective decisions. This fosters communication and conflict  resolution skills. Additionally, Forest School encourages a sense of responsibility and independence as students take on leadership roles within their groups, guiding peers and organising activities.

Although all children are given the opportunities to develop their leadership skills, students also have the opportunity to become the Forest School Leader representative for their class. This involves the children sharing why they want to be a Forest School leader and their fellow peers voting. The role of the Forest School leader supports the work and ethos of the outdoor environment. They are responsible for embodying our Forest School values, especially to promote those values to other students with an emphasis on helping and caring for others and the environment. By engaging with nature and each other, students understand the importance of resilience, building confidence and learning to lead with empathy and environmental stewardship. These experiences cultivate well-rounded leaders equipped with the interpersonal and critical thinking skills needed for future success.

Junior School – Values School 

House System

At GEMS Metropole we nurture an inclusive atmosphere and a strong community spirit through our house system, to which all students belong.  There are four houses, which are named after popular racing teams: Ferrari, Mercedes, Maclaren and Williams. House Captains have many important responsibilities throughout the year, they are the leaders of their houses who encourage pride and inspire team ethos.

House Captains

The House Captain position is possibly the most prestigious role a student can apply for.  Elected students will lead across the school to develop a culture that excites and motivates other students. In addition, they will be the role models for the wider school and will attend key school events. They will also be required to support assemblies, lead internal inter-House competitions, help at school events, meet visitors and give tours of Metropole School.
Students will develop their leadership skills through actively leading a team of other student leaders, working towards deadlines, organising their workload and balancing it with their schoolwork and their ability to collaborate with one another to reach a goal. 
Students across the key stage will vote for who they would like to represent them as House Captain.

School Council

Every student in Junior School and prep and Senior School will have the opportunity to apply to be a Student Council Representative. Pupils will vote for their class representative.
Every class will have one representative, and these pupils will form part of the School Council for their year group. Being a School Council Representative allows pupils to voice their opinions alongside management within the school, and they will have their views considered in decisions which impact upon them and their peers. 
Student Leaders will debate issues and will have a ‘real voice’ in the decision-making processes within school. Furthermore, students will discuss a wide range of important topics, issues and initiatives. Students will develop their debating, planning and people skills in this role, and will also understand the importance of democracy. Students will represent their peers to create positive change for all members of the GEMS Metropole Community.  

High Performance Leaders (HPL)

HPL Student Leaders will play a key role in supporting world class learning at GEMS Metropole School. They will celebrate student achievement and develop student understanding and awareness of the HPL dispositions. 
Selected students will be responsible for rewarding students who have excelled in the HPL competencies through assemblies and through joining staff on Learning Walks. Students will also support with developing students’ understanding of the HPL competencies through creating assembly videos and tasks to promote
HPL. As HPL leadership is a new role, they will later be involved in creating a job description for future HPL leaders as a legacy project.
Students will have the opportunity to develop this role as the year progresses. Our HPL leaders will become experts in how students learn and will be able to identify these skills in practice, throughout lessons. They will develop their intellectual confidence, the ability to collaborate within a team while being organised and able to plan small projects. 

Other roles include: 

• Raising awareness about sustainability
• Taking care of the plants in the potting shed, hydroponics and MTS farm
• Raising awareness of different Eco celebration days
• Secondary students will be part of the running the MTS Farm Shop
• To take part in MTS Farmers Markets
• To particate in innovative sustainability projects.   
• To develop their entrepreneurial and leadership skills. 

Throughout the year, selected students will be involved in a wide range of activities. These incudes creating and making progress towards maintaining our Eco Schools Green Flag award. Additional projects including- enriching our MTS Farm Stall and growing the Metropole Farm. 

“Be part of the solution, not part of the pollution” – Anonymous

Students will aim to become a compassionate and conscientious leader. These attributes will support them in school, but these skills are transferable and would support them in future work environments. Being a good leader requires understanding of the needs of those they lead and know how to help and inspire them.

Science Leaders

Science Leaders are selected by the class teacher; however, the teacher can change their chosen Science Leader whenever they wish to give other students an opportunity to lead. Therefore, there is no application process or inauguration ceremony for this position, instead the rationale is to give as many students the chance to be involved as possible over an academic year. 
During lessons, the Science Leader will be expected to be a role model for their peers, modelling the correct scientific language and ensuring all members of the class are carrying out investigations in a safe, fair manner.

Students will also have the chance to lead investigations, share their ideas with other leaders and will contribute to whole school events such as Science week and STEAM Day. A Science leader is a fantastic opportunity for any budding scientists to develop their leadership skills within the subject.

Math Leaders

Maths Leaders are selected by the class teacher; however, the teacher can change their chosen Maths Leader whenever they wish to give other students an opportunity to lead. Therefore, there is no application process or inauguration ceremony for this position, instead the rationale is to give as many students the chance to be involved as possible over an academic year.  
The Maths Leader role enables children with an especially keen interest in Maths to take on extra responsibility in the classroom. They will set high standards in class in terms of completing tasks and helping assist peers where appropriate. 
Maths Leaders will help their peers understand tricky concepts by creating ‘how to’ guides and videos explaining their learning. Maths leaders will also take responsibility for setting up and monitoring mental arithmetic competitions including Times Tables Rockstars for their class to compete in.

English Leaders

English Leaders are selected by the class teacher; however, the teacher can change their chosen English Leader whenever they wish to give other students an opportunity to lead. Therefore, there is no application process or inauguration ceremony for this position, instead the rationale is to give as many students the chance to be involved as possible over an academic year. 
English leaders will be able to confidently support other students in the class in English lessons as well as with their reading. As well as supporting in the classroom, the English leaders will take part in planning, preparation and promoting English events in school such as the Emirates Literature Festival and World Book Day.
In class, these students will be responsible for ensuring the reading target display is updated on a weekly basis. English Leaders will also ensure that the reading corner in the classroom is kept up to date with a book of the week. In years 4, 5 and 6, students will also lead and drive peer assessment in the classroom. They will also create pupil voice surveys to address areas of development in this subject.

Playground Leaders

The purpose of having Playground Leaders is to enhance the breaktime experience for all students in our school and to develop leadership skills in children. All students can sign up to be a Playground Leader, and pupils will receive support in learning how to organise activities for other children in the playground. Through games and activities, leaders will create an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.
The role of being a Playground Leader will vary between year groups. However, all students will be expected to be exemplary role models and to develop the spirt of inclusivity and positive wellbeing. Playground Leaders will be trained to plan and deliver safe and engaging physical activities for their peers.

Pupils will develop their organisational skills and their ability to adapt to different situations. Furthermore, students will need to learn how to deal with conflict/emotional issues using their problem-solving skills to help others.

Global Committee Leaders

At GEMS Metropole, our Global Committee Leaders are dedicated representatives, elected by their peers, spanning from Year 3 all the way to Year 13. These leaders take on the essential role of organising activities, assemblies, and awareness days that celebrate the rich tapestry of cultures within our school. Meeting once a half term with a member of staff, they discuss and plan their initiatives to ensure that every culture is recognised and valued. Utilising Microsoft Teams as their platform, they communicate their ideas, thoughts, and plans effectively, ensuring seamless execution of their initiatives. With a voice throughout the school, our Global Committee Leaders embody the spirit of unity and global citizenship that defines GEMS Metropole.

Student Leadership at GEMS Metropole School

At GEMS Metropole School, we believe every student should have the opportunity to discover and develop their leadership potential. Guided by the GEMS Jewels-empathy, respect, resilience, integrity and global citizenship-our approach to student leadership focuses on building confident, responsible and compassionate young people.

• Leadership is part of everyday life at the Active and Future Schools at Metropole. It is woven into our curriculum and supported through a wide range of opportunities, including the elected student leadership committees. Whether in the classroom, through student-led initiatives, or across the wider school community, students are encouraged to take initiative, share their voice and make a positive difference.
• Through these experiences, our students grow as creative thinkers, problem solvers and effective communicators—skills that will support them well beyond school.

Our Aim

At MTS, we support and encourage all students to:

• Develop leadership skills for future opportunities
• Show respect for others, their environment and the wider community
• Contribute to an inclusive and supportive school culture
• Act as positive role models in and out of school
• We are proud to have Student Leaders across both Active and Future schools representing a wide range of areas and contributing meaningfully to school life.

Student Leadership Inauguration Ceremony

• At the start of each academic year, we hold our Active and Future Student Leadership Inauguration Ceremony to recognise students who have been selected for leadership roles. It is a special moment for students and their families.
• During the ceremony, students come on stage to receive their leadership badge. These badges are worn as part of the school uniform and help identify our student leaders across both schools.