Appointment of our New Head Girl and Head Boy

Appointing a new Head Girl and Boy at Heritage is a great pleasure, both for the school and the two pupils who have succeeded in the selection process. This year our new Head Girl is Amy Robson and our Head Boy is William Buchanan. Leah Monmont and Anthony Austin will assist them as our two prefects.

The process began before Easter when all our Year 10 students were invited to apply to become a prefect and / or Head Girl / Boy. Judging by their letters, all those who applied took this very seriously. It was particularly gratifying that they emphasised their personal qualities rather than their academic, sporting or artistic achievements. At Heritage character matters more than brilliance and the desire to serve the school shone through these letters.

The day for the interviews arrived in mid May and all the applicants were quizzed about their letters and their priorities. A particular feature this year were the many extra-curricular activities that they hoped to support and initiate in their final year at the school. If you thought Heritage already offered a very rich cultural environment, our students have lots of creative ideas about how to improve on it.

However, the decision in the end came down to, not which club we liked the sound of, but who persuaded us that they had the commitment and resilience to become a leader in the school. Their past record of service to community was, of course, relevant here, as was the evidence that they shared the school’s values. All the teachers were invited to comment confidentially on each of the candidates beforehand, so their observations too were taken into account.

The role of Head Girl and Boy is not just a public one – addressing the parents on our Open Mornings, for example – but also to be approachable by all the Senior students. They will chair our Student Council meetings and liaise between the student body and the school management team. In this, we believe, Amy and William will do an excellent job, ably assisted by Leah and Anthony.

A few words from William and Amy

William : ‘I am very excited with this new opportunity of being Head Boy. There are so many great things that I love about Heritage, and now I have been given a role to help provide what I loved so much to others. Heritage has had a huge hand in shaping the person I am today, for example my attitude towards others, diligence when working and building strong friendships. I hope to maintain the encouraging atmosphere here and be an inspiring role model to those aspiring to better themselves. Along with the rest of the Head/Prefect team I want to help provide new and exciting opportunities to other students at new clubs that we are planning. Having been at the school for almost eleven years now I feel that I really understand the school’s mentality as good as anyone else. This place has inspired me, helped me grow and taught me so much both about the world around me and myself. However, there will always be room for improvement, so I will remain vigilant in trying to keep this school as good as it can be.’

Amy : ‘I was delighted to be selected for the position of Head Girl commencing September 2018. I have been at the school for seven years. Being at Heritage has given me a love for learning as well as confidence in myself and I have made many valuable friendships. I hope I can be a positive role model for other students.

Part of my role as Head Girl is to co-run the school council. We will communicate regularly with staff and the pupils to ensure that each students voice is heard. As Head Girl, I also get the opportunity of public speaking, which is a new skill that I am excited to develop. I am excited to be starting a running club for seniors and a wide games club for juniors. I look forward to getting to know students from other years even better and to being an ambassador for the school in the year ahead.’