Student leadership
At Hutchins we support the idea that leadership has many facets and that learning to be a leader and actually leading are mutually inclusive as part of a journey of personal growth. While leadership is not explicitly taught as a separate topic at Hutchins, we do educate our students to be mindful citizens who are willing to take up opportunities and to learn from both the experience itself and those individuals with whom they have worked.
Taking on such opportunities sees support, guidance and counsel offered by the staff mentor of that activity and provides an amazing opportunity for our young men to learn about themselves, their strengths and their weaknesses and to grow from the experience. At any stage in their schooling students may develop skills and confidences that contribute to their willingness to be involved as leaders.
Leadership opportunities are available to all boys. Whilst not all boys seek to lead others, it is our belief that all boys are first and foremost leaders of self and this philosophy underpins many of the expectations we place on all boys with regard to their commitments, interactions, behaviour and appearance. Leadership is therefore inculcated as part of the development of leadership of oneself and then of others.
We support the notion of service leadership and place great emphasis on giving back to the School, the broader community and being participative in how we serve the needs of others. This involvement within the School is varied and could be, for example, through coaching a younger sports or debating team, giving private tuition to a musician or assisting someone with their academics. It could be boys involving themselves on committees to assist with the organisation and running of specific events either within the House or for the whole school. Within the broader community, examples include our strong working relationship with the nearby Queenborough Rise Nursing Home, our ongoing blood drive with the Red Cross and the hundreds of man hours our boys provided assisting those farmers effected by bushfires in the Derwent Valley.
For those who formally seek to take on positions of leadership, a number of opportunities or paths are available. This can occur through the captaincy or leadership within a co-curricular activity or through the Junior School Council, Middle School Council, Student Representative Council (Years 9–11), House Executives (Years 9–12) or Prefect body.
Hutchins Prefects
Following a written application process and interview, boys and staff vote for those boys they believe will best represent the virtues of a Hutchins Prefect. At Speech Night the School Captain for the following year is announced to the School along with the Vice-Captain, four House Captains and Captain of Burbury House (boarding). During the year of appointment, further boys are selected to take on the role of Prefect based on how well they have displayed the qualities that stand them out as role models and situational leaders within the School. Prefects exercise a strong pastoral role by actively working for the benefit and welfare of all students. They specifically exercise leadership in their chosen portfolio and are expected to be exceptional role models for all students to look up to.
House Executives
Each House has its own culture and the House Executive, chaired by the House Captain, is the group within the House that discusses, organises, facilitates and reflects on all the activities of the House. This may extend from charity fundraising, assemblies, raising awareness of issues and information giving to social activities.
The Student Representative Council (SRC)
Chairperson of the Student Representative Council is invariably a Prefect, and the group is comprised of boys from Years 9–11. Members are selected through a rigorous application and voting process. Boys are elected by the student body because they are seen as leading characters within their year level who are prepared to work hard to contribute to the purpose of the SRC. This purpose is to act in the interest of the wider school community with the student body at heart.
The SRC consists of Year 11 portfolio leaders who work closely with the Chairperson at leading, teaching and motivating the Years 9 and 10 members of the SRC. The SRC work hard at creating and executing events that promote awareness and cause, while aiming to incorporate enjoyable activities for the student body throughout the year.