PRESTON Lodge High School has announced the eight pupils who will take on roles in its newly expanded senior student leadership team.
This year’s head students will be Arwen Hood and Milly Jones, while the role of deputes will be assumed by Rebecca Currie, Jamie Harley, Katie Kemp, Chloe Mitchell, Niamh Robb and Erin Towers.
Milly shared her delight in taking on the role, saying she was grateful to be honoured with such a position.
She said: “Throughout my time at Preston Lodge it has always felt like one big community; from the students and teachers everyone is treated with kindness and respect.
“Preston Lodge has allowed me to grow and achieve so many wonderful opportunities. I am grateful to be at such a positive and welcoming school.
“Being elected as a head student of Preston Lodge means so much to me; it made me realise that you can do anything you set your mind to, and I’m really grateful to be working alongside [headteacher] Mr [Gavin] Clark in ensuring Preston Lodge continues to thrive.”
Fellow head student Arwen added: “This is a school that has faced so many challenges, but we continue to work together and remain optimistic for the future.
“The perseverance of our school community makes me incredibly proud of where I come from. I am so grateful to have been chosen as head student because this is a role I have been quietly hoping for in recent years
“This has really allowed me to come out of my shell and express my opinions more vocally, and overall I am feeling so much more comfortable and confident with myself.
“At a time when we are distributed across seven sites it is more important than ever for us to support each other.
“My main aim is to ensure that everybody in this school feels they have somebody who they can confide in and feel safe talking to. I hope that for many of my peers I can be that person.”
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Headteacher Mr Clark said: “Having participated in a staff vote, a student vote, a hustings event, and having organised an S1 event and negotiated an interview, this impressive group have more than earned their badges.
“We expanded this year’s team because of the challenges we currently face with our building, and already the team is making a real difference, progressing school improvement projects.
“It is worth noting how many hugely impressive S6 candidates didn’t make the cut on this occasion.
“All of those who put themselves forward will now be able to take on other school leadership opportunities, such as house captains or leading an S6 committee.
“We are fortunate to have such a capable and committed S6.
“We treat our S6s as partners in our work, and they respond to that by making an enormous contribution to our school’s culture, ethos and wellbeing.
“I’d like to thank all our S6 for all that they do to make our school such a positive place, and we look forward to working with them this session.”
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