Working at Fairholme as a Student

Head of Senior School, Mr Tom McCormick reflects on his own educational journey and why he’s so passionate about our latest initiative, Student Employee Program.

I remember when I was in Year 9 and my high school form teacher (similar to a Holme Group Teacher) advertised to the class that the school was launching a ‘Student Representative Council’ (known as an SRC).

We were told that the purpose of this initiative was to ensure that ‘students had a voice in decisions being made across the school’. 

I am not sure why, but this opportunity caught my attention. My father was heavily involved in trade unions, and my brother was a youth parliament MP for our local constituency, so it is safe to say that we McCormicks have always had a lot to say and have not been afraid to speak up.

My wife would also agree that I ‘have an opinion on everything’.

It is probably for these reasons that I applied, and surprisingly, I was selected as one of 12 representatives from across Years 7-13.

Unfortunately, my work with the SRC was to be shortlived.

My first and last experience of being a member of the Student Representative Council was being sat in a classroom during a very rushed lunchtime meeting. 

The meeting consisted of a teacher picking apart suggestions made by each of the SRC representatives.

Suggestions on changes to break times, increased healthy food choices in the canteen and support of further fundraising opportunities were met with critical comments by the teacher leading the group. 

He would make references to the lack of resources or funding and felt the need to justify why the school operates the way it did.

I vaguely remember a Year 8 student mentioning something about buses and being completely ignored.

It was clear that the teacher did not want to be there, and it was clear from the start that the severe lack of collaboration, clear goals, encouragement, or autonomy would result in the failure of this initiative.

I remember feeling deflated and thinking, why should I value something that the teachers or leaders in the school did not value either? 

Although my parents had brought me up to follow through on things that I had signed up for, I knew I would not go back to any other meetings. 

The cynic in me, looking back 20 years later (through my educator eyes), feels that the main reason for such an initiative in the school was a mere tick-boxing exercise to satisfy the governing body’s (OFSTED) expectations.

I am not sure if it was experiences like this that fuelled my passion for student voice in schools, but ever since becoming a teacher, I have looked for ways to encourage students to speak up, play a role in their schools and be change agents within their communities.

At Fairholme College, we believe that when students have a voice in their education, they feel empowered and are more likely to take ownership of their learning.

This can lead to increased engagement, motivation, and academic achievement.

Also, when students feel that their voices are heard and valued, they are more likely to feel connected to their school community and have a positive school experience, which can lead to a more positive and supportive school culture overall.

Since 2021, we have looked at ways we can empower students to have a strong voice in their own education.

We believe in ‘student agency’ and understand that young people bring fresh perspectives, insights and ideas to the table, which can be valuable to discussions and decision-making processes. 

Students also have a unique understanding of the challenges facing students and are the key stakeholder in the operation of a school.

In 2021, we launched Lunch with the Head of Senior School (Carpet Conversations), which involved me meeting with groups of Year 12 students each term to hear their opinions on how life in Year 12 is going and what are some of the challenges they face. 

These insights have been invaluable in supporting our development of Wellbeing and Teaching Learning Frameworks.

I also regularly speak at Senior School Year Level meetings and meet individually with each Senior School student to talk through what they like about Fairholme, what we do well in the Senior School and areas they feel we need to look at in greater detail.

Ideas such as refurbishment within the Senior School, changes to the College uniform, and the creation of new clubs have all come from these meetings.

However, the most significant project in the area of ‘student agency’ has been the launching of the Students as Employees initiative this year.

This initiative is open to all Year 11 students and is paid employment for the students in the areas of Marketing, Publications and Photography.

Students are put through a rigorous application and induction process involving a written application, the formulation of a curriculum vitae with the support of the Pathway Centre, and an interview with members of the leadership team.

Other than increased student voice, there are a number of reasons why we felt the need to launch this initiative.

• Sense of responsibility: Students develop a sense of responsibility and accountability when asked to lead a project or be responsible for an activity or event.
• Skill development: The initiative provides students with opportunities to develop valuable skills such as time management, communication, teamwork, and problem solving.
  
• Building relationships: We felt that students working in a school environment would provide them with the opportunity to build relationships with teachers, staff, and other students, as well as network with professionals and be mentored by experts in different fields. This will hopefully enhance their future skills.
  
• Positive school culture: Opportunities such as this allow for students to feel more connected to their school community.

After the extensive recruitment processes, Hannah Smith (Marketing and Publications) and Penne Skene (Photography) were successful in gaining positions and, as of Term 1, have been doing a brilliant job working with their mentors, Mr Sessarago and Mrs

Doyle.

We hope to roll out this initiative to other areas of the College in 2024, such as gardening, administration, and in catering.

‘I decided to get involved in the Students as Employees’ Program to both gain experience and learn new skills within the field. It was something I was interested in and could be something I continue once I leave school. The interview process was very professional and helps you gain an understanding of how job interviews will be in the future.’

Hannah Smith.