Turning children into leaders

Not every child is a born leader, but they can still learn to lead, given the chance, says Claire Lotriet...

Whatever career children many eventually pursue, the ability to lead will stand them in good stead. Many of us have been on leadership-focused training of behalf of our schools – it’s a popular topic for professional development – but how can we foster the same skills among primary pupils? My approach is pretty simple: I help children to develop leadership skills by giving them the opportunity to lead, and these are some of the techniques that I’ve used successfully in my classroom and beyond.

1. Leading the curriculum

The ‘digital leader’ movement has been around for some time now and is really gaining momentum. I have a group of digital leaders in my class and their role is to help raise the profile of ICT around the school, to test out new kit and, as the title suggests, help me in leading the subject.
 
There are lots of opportunities for pupils to step into leadership roles – my digital leaders planned and delivered an assembly on esafety, for instance, and they sometimes assist teachers in ICT lessons involving younger children. They’ve also helped me to run a session in the ICT suite for new nursery parents, introducing them to some of the software we use in school, which can also be used at home.
 
Within my group of digital leaders, I now have three senior leaders who are helping me to recruit and train the next cohort so it becomes a rolling programme. There’s not reason the same thinking can’t be applied to other subjects, either – the literacy coordinator at my school has set up a literacy ambassadors group this year.

2. Leading clubs

Giving children the chance to run their own club for younger pupils is a fantastic way of getting them to step up and take charge – my digital leaders run lunchtime ICT clubs for children in KS1.
 
We have a system in our school where any group of children in Year 5 or 6 can apply to run a lunchtime club for younger pupils. They have to submit an application to our headteacher outlining what the club will involve, any equipment needed and how club members will benefit from the activity. Successful applicants get to set up and run their club.
 
We currently have all sorts of clubs being lead by children: Lego, singing, dancing, origami and table tennis to name but a few.

3. Leading tours

Why not give children the chance to help show potential new parents and pupils around your school? I think both the adults and the incoming children really appreciate getting to hear from current pupils, not just teachers, and what could be a better advert for your school than confident, eloquent young people taking the lead?

4. Leading assemblies

In my experience, child-led assemblies are far more effective than those delivered by the same old adults, week in, week out. Younger children, in particular, take notice of and look up to older pupils. It began as a novelty, but having a small group, or pair, of children deliver an assembly has now become part of our school’s normal way of life.
 
Each half term we focus on a different core value and this often becomes the subject of children’s assemblies. As with running clubs, they put an idea forward to the headteacher for consideration. Applying for all these responsibilities is a great exercise in enterprise in and of itself.

5. Leading group work

During group tasks, it’s worth assigning roles to keep everyone on task and it’s a good idea to make one of these roles the ‘group leader’. I find science investigations lend themselves to this arrangement particularly well – I allocate the roles of group leader, spokesperson, equipment monitor, recorder and observer. Be sure to rotate the roles so everyone gets a chance to be the leader at some point.

Developing leadership in children does not happen overnight and it can’t just be taught during lessons. However, if it is a whole-school priority there are plenty of ways for children to try their hand at being leaders.