The Prefect Paradox

🏷️ From £175
🎧Directors of Boarding, Heads of Boarding, Houseparents, Assistant Houseparents, Boarding Tutors, Deputy Heads (Pastoral), Assistant Heads (Pastoral), Pastoral Leaders, Character Education Leads and senior leaders responsible for prefect systems, student leadership and safeguarding.
📍 Online

Course outline:

Prefect systems are one of the most influential leadership structures within boarding schools, offering opportunities to strengthen house culture, build community and develop future leaders. However, the very qualities that make prefects effective—confidence, influence and leadership presence—can also create risks if not supported by strong moral judgement and appropriate supervision.

This interactive seminar explores the concept of the Prefect Paradox: balancing delegated authority with safeguarding responsibilities to ensure prefect systems positively influence boarding communities. Delegates will examine how boarding schools can move beyond selecting either the “most popular” or the “safest” candidate by adopting a character-led approach to leadership development.

Drawing on the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues’ framework, the session introduces practical approaches to character education, virtue literacy and the concept of practical wisdom (phronesis). Through facilitated discussion and collaborative activities, delegates will reflect on current practice, explore real-world scenarios and develop practical strategies to strengthen the recruitment, training and ongoing support of prefects within their boarding houses.

Training topics will include:

• Understanding the Prefect Paradox and the challenges of delegated authority
• The relationship between student leadership, safeguarding and boarding culture
• Character education, virtue literacy and the Building Blocks of Character
• Developing practical wisdom (phronesis) in student leaders
• Interactive discussions exploring leadership dilemmas and safeguarding considerations
• Designing effective prefect selection processes that assess judgement as well as leadership potential
• Practical approaches to training, mentoring and supervising prefects

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this seminar, delegates will:

• Understand the opportunities and risks associated with delegated authority in boarding settings.
• Recognise how character education can strengthen prefect systems and support positive boarding cultures.
• Gain practical strategies for selecting, training and supervising prefects more effectively.
• Be able to apply moral reasoning and practical wisdom frameworks when developing student leadership programmes.
• Leave with ideas to enhance safeguarding, strengthen house ethos and develop confident, responsible student leaders through well-supported prefect systems.

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Speaker:

James Baggaley, Teacher of Geography, Ellesmere College 

James brings over 25 years’ experience in independent education, including 18 years as a Housemaster across two boarding schools. As lead teacher of IB Geography, he is equally committed to the co-curricular side of school life, coaching senior sports teams, working with the CCF, and helping facilitate Duke of Edinburgh expeditions at every level. Holding a master’s degree in Character Education from the University of Birmingham, James is particularly interested in how schools can intentionally develop character in young people through boarding and co-curricular life, examining how challenges and setbacks, structured feedback and well-planned pupil responsibility help students flourish.