Worthing High School recently went through the process of choosing its new student leaders, and I spoke to Mr Mariosa to find out more. It is becoming more and more important for schools to not only create academic opportunities for its students, but to also give them extra-curricular choices to further their skills as a person. Head Boy and Girl, the Deputies and Senior and Regular Prefects are just some of the opportunities available for pupils at Worthing High to exercise their student voice. And the next generation of young adults to go through the school have now gone through a tough interview process that tries to replicate real-life situations.

“intensive interview experience”

Mr Mariosa, the teacher at Worthing High who helps the Student Leaders, outlined to me the process that candidates had to go through to be selected. Firstly, following application forms demonstrating interest in various positions, there was a carousel of interviews with members of the Student Council and teachers, followed by a presentation and activity to the full school council and an interview with the Headteacher and current Head Boy and Girl. He said it was “absolutely” effective in preparing students for life and was a “wonderful experience to be involved in”. The extensive process students had to go through really helped develop the leadership skills of those involved and will hopefully prepare them for future, similar experiences in the world of work.

“a great experience”

When he was at school, there were no Student Leadership opportunities like Head Boy and Girl, and whilst he was a prefect at Sixth Form, he said that this process was an “interesting approach” for him. He thinks this is an important opportunity for students to have and said students should pursue such a role because they can “develop skills that perhaps you know that you have, or didn’t know that you had, moving on to the future”.

As Mr Mariosa said to me when asked about developing leadership skills, it is a “great experience to develop that now”, and at Worthing High School, they really are focused on bringing that to the forefront of students minds and developing not only their academic skills, but also their leadership skills and their skills as a person.

By Josh Farley Worthing High School