Leadership isn’t about being the best. It’s about making others better.

This year the Student Leadership Program has seen exponential growth in the participation of students from both the Middle and Senior Schools.

Feedback from staff, students and families suggests the increase in participation of the Student Leadership Program is because of the impact it has on a boy’s personal growth and development, plus the ability to add value to a boy’s character is becoming more evident throughout the school and wider community. So, what makes the Student Leadership Program at Aquinas so good?

The Leadership Program provides an authentic way to educate and develop leadership ability in boys by working around two key aspects. The first aspect is encouraging boys to become more self-aware as research into leadership has this as a common trait amongst great leaders. People who are self-aware have higher emotional intelligence, are more adaptive, resilient, and readily take on feedback, they are also more capable of effective communication.

Starting in Year 8, all students are involved in a workshop to launch the Middle School Leadership Program. This workshop focusses on teaching students to become more self-aware through activities examining their past, and goal setting for the future. Looking back at the past builds a stronger sense of gratitude and with this enhances a boy’s ability to be empathetic and show kindness. Building self-awareness continues in the Senior School with boys completing activities in the Skills of Leadership workbook by examining the importance of leaders showing initiative, being collaborative, having strong self-awareness and being resilient.

The second aspect of our Leadership Program recognises ‘great leaders are servants first’ as role modelled by Edmund Rice and Jesus. Our Leadership Program is centred around active participation of boys in the Service-Learning program at Aquinas. Service is so highly valued in our Student Leaders, that boys who fail to complete any aspect of the Middle or Senior School Service-Learning Program cannot become a Year 9 Leader or College Prefect. This philosophy is also behind the structure of the 16 Student Councils, whereby the Council shares the power amongst its members, helping students to grow under the mentorship of older boys whilst also having the primary focus of improving/serving the community of Aquinas or broader society. Promoting the importance of service throughout the Student Leadership Program reinforces the idea that great leaders put the wellbeing of others and needs of their community first.