Pupil Leadership
HELLO FROM THE PUPIL LEADERSHIP TEAM!
At St. John’s we are always sure to be inclusive and to let everyone’s voices be heard. In year 6 you get the remarkable opportunity to apply for a pupil leadership team. These roles consist of Head Ambassadors (Head Girls and Boys), Prefects, Amigos, P.E.S.H (sports) councillors, Mini Vinnies, House Captains and Learning Leaders. We make sure that all children in school get to have a say and lead projects by asking them their views regularly.
We enjoy our roles very much. If your child comes to comes to ST JOHN’S they will be guaranteed a role that will suite their personalities.
We have written about our roles and want to share with you some photos of the brilliant projects our leadership team have been organised this year. Keep checking back to see what we're been up to!
Leaders 2025-2026
Head Ambassadors
Updated Head Ambassadors Overview
This year, one of our main whole‑school projects is Outdoor Learning, supported by a series of exciting themed days such as Takeover Day, You‑nique Day, and special assemblies inspired by things the children are genuinely interested in — including topics like Albert Einstein and other fascinating figures and ideas.
Our Head Ambassadors play a crucial role in all of this. They are helping to launch our new OPAL Play Initiative, which will transform breaktimes and lunchtimes and make our outdoor areas more creative, active, and enjoyable for everyone. Head Ambassadors work hard every day to help everyone feel welcome and safe at St John’s Primary School.
They meet with Mrs O’Donoghue every week and are working tirelessly to help adapt and improve our school environment. They take their responsibility seriously, supporting all pupils across the school and doing their very best to upgrade our school’s activities, opportunities, and facilities.
The selection process for Head Ambassadors is also something we are very proud of. Pupils chosen for this role are selected for a reason — they demonstrate kindness, leadership, responsibility, and commitment. Every candidate must prepare and deliver a speech, which is then read aloud in front of most of KS2. Results are shared approximately one week later.
Head Ambassadors have already achieved a great deal this year, and their hard work is making a real difference to our school community.
Eco Council
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Amigos
At St. John’s we have a strong relationship with Spain through our Spanish exchange. As amigos is Spanish for friends, we decided that a suitable name for this pupil leadership team would be the Amigos. This year the Amigos have created a rota so that each day children in KS1 have a chance to play with the older children. Every day there are 3-5 amigos split fairly into the Nursery and Reception, and Yr1 and Yr2 playgrounds. The Rights Respecting Steering group will later in the year be training the Amigos to use kind and respectful words and actions in their playgrounds.
House Captains
HOUSE CAPTAINS
In 2023, the Head Ambassadors organised an update to our school houses.
They made sure every child had a voice and that our houses truly represented what matters most to us as a school community.
Children across the school researched different saints. After gathering ideas, everyone in the school voted for the saints and house names they wanted to adopt. The aim was to choose saints who represent all the things that are important at St. John’s, and to make sure each continent of the world was represented in our choices.
Each house at St. John’s is named after a saint who represents something special that matters to our school community. These saints were chosen by the children because they reflect our values and help us feel connected to people from all around the world.
St. Sebastian – Sport and Strength
St. Sebastian is known for his courage and determination. He’s the patron saint of athletes, and reminds us to keep going, even when things are tough.
St. Philip Neri – Joy and Happiness
St. Philip Neri was famous for his cheerful personality and sense of humour. He helps us remember that joy is a gift we can share with others every day.
St. Cecilia – Music and Creativity
St. Cecilia is the patron saint of music. She inspires us to express ourselves through singing, playing instruments, and enjoying the beauty of sound.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha – Care for the Earth
St. Kateri was deeply connected to nature and the environment. She teaches us to look after the world around us and be thankful for creation.
St. Josephine Bakhita – Hope and Forgiveness
St. Josephine’s life was full of challenges, but she never gave up. She is a symbol of hope and reminds us to treat everyone with kindness and dignity.
St. Vincent de Paul – Helping Others
St. Vincent spent his life helping people in need. He encourages us to be generous, thoughtful, and always ready to lend a hand.
The Role of House Captains
The house captains are responsible for leading their house teams. Every week, they:
Count House Points: House points are awarded to students for showing respect, gratitude, love, joy, resilience, or kindness.
Announce Winners: At the end of the week, house captains announce the winning house in assembly.
Celebrations: The winning team is celebrated with a special “Celebration Conga,” and Chad rewards them with hot chocolate at the celebration disco or ice cream for a “chill on the hill.”
Special House Hours
Each half term, house captains organise a special hour for their house. During this time older children help younger ones learn about their house saint and the school values and everyone thinks about how they can show these values in their behaviour and relationships. This year, each house will be coming together for the Celebration of the word where the focus is on the value listed;
Dates for House Hours this year:
Thursday 23rd October 2025 – Gratitude
Thursday 11th December 2025 – Respect
Thursday 12th February 2026 – Love
Thursday 2nd April 2026 – Resilience
Thursday 21st May 2026 – Kindness
Thursday 23rd July 2026 – Joy
PESH council
The PESH Council is our Pupil Council for PE, Health and Sport. It is a group of dedicated pupils who lead on promoting physical health, wellbeing, and active lifestyles across the school.
PESH stands for:
P – Physical Education
E – Exercise
S – Sport
H – Health & Wellbeing
What the PESH Council Does
Our PESH Ambassadors work together to:
Champion PE and sport across the school
Encourage all pupils to take part in physical activity
Lead wellbeing initiatives that help everyone feel healthy and happy
Support whole‑school events such as Sports Day, fitness challenges and outdoor learning days
Share pupils’ ideas about how to improve active playtimes and PE lessons
Help promote healthy habits, including staying active, playing fairly, and supporting others
They work closely with staff to make sure that St John’s is a place where everyone can enjoy sport, stay active, and look after their wellbeing.
Rights Respecting Steering Group
The Rights Respecting Steering Team consist of two members per year from Yr1 to Yr6. When you are chosen in Yr1 to be the Rights Respecting Representative you are allowed to carry on in this role until you leave the school. If somebody leaves before the end of Yr6 or doesn’t want to carry on being in this role, a new person from their class will be chosen. The Rights Respecting Steering group are the people who represent our school in UNICEF events and will guide the other children in their school to be kind and respectful to ensure St. John’s is a safe and happy place for all.
Mini Vinnies
Librarians
The Librarians are the main helpers to keep the library tidy, they help sign the library books in and out and they are assisted by the Prefects at lunchtime on a Wednesday and a Friday.
Their most important job is to recommend books and make sure everyone knows what is in our library. They are going to start choosing a book of the week and will be uploading them to the school newsletter.
Prefects
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