Keswick school head boy and girl discuss their new roles

Keswick school has a long history of prefects, dating back over 120 years. Prefects support younger students and teachers in school; volunteering their time to organise events, help out in subjects or just being a friendly face to guide the younger years.

The head boy, Cameron Wear and head girl, Ella Horne spoke about what being a prefect at the school means:

"If you ask any student at Keswick School, they would be able to recall a fond memory about interacting with a prefect: whether in their KS3 form or even just a conversation they had with a corridor perfect in the dinner queue. It is this supporting environment within and between year groups that makes the Keswick School community so unique."

Ella and Cameron went onto say:

"Personally, we have always admired prefects, especially the senior prefects, with their motivational speeches and uplifting attitude. They have been kind and knowledgeable role models that definitely inspired our decision to apply for a senior prefect role. This involved writing an application to the Head of Sixth Form expressing our interest and highlighting our personal qualities that make us suited to the role."

The application to be a prefect is a lengthy task full on interview and situational based questions. From the original ninety Sixth Form applicants, fifteen students were appointed to the following roles: Head Boy/Girl; Deputy Head Boy/Girl; Heads of Year Seven, Eight, and Nine; Heads of Duty and Heads of Charity.

As the current Head Boy and Head Girl, Ella and Cameron's main aim for the next 12 months is to help students thrive in school and encourage involvement in the diverse range of opportunities on offer across all year groups. 

They discussed their plans saying:

"There is no doubt that COVID-19 affected the mental health of many young people, which is why it is another one of our priorities to ensure that every student can talk to a fellow pupil, through the mental health prefect role."