Joint Prefect Event with Fulham Boys’ School on Leadership and Masculinity

On 24 May, the prefect teams from Fulham Boys’ School and SPS came together to discuss the topics of leadership and masculinity both in relation to their roles and the single-sex environment of the two schools. The event was planned and run by the SPS Values Committee.

The afternoon began informally over lunch before moving on to group work around defining leadership, identifying exemplary leaders and a Socratic circle task which prompted attendees to reflect on what leadership might look like within a small-group professional meeting environment.

The next part of the afternoon was dedicated to thinking about masculinity. Attendees were asked to define and reflect on masculinity before discussing how masculinity is positively and negatively perceived within FBS and SPS and presented within media.

They were then given time to begin designing projects for the two schools which championed the positive and addressed the negatives, and which the prefect teams could implement and lead on over the rest of 2023. The hope is that the two teams can meet again in December to reflect on any projects they have managed to implement.

Several SPS pupils commented on the day:

“I thought the meeting with FBS was fantastic. Our group had some engaging discussions on the complexities of masculinity and leadership, exchanging diverse perspectives and reflecting on the challenges and opportunities associated with these themes. The exchange fostered a collaborative atmosphere where valuable insights were shared.”

“Everyone taking part in the event was engaged and enthusiastic which led to a really positive and productive environment in which pupils used their own experiences to identify problems and produce effective solutions.”

“I felt that my group and others found that the FBS and SPS delegates got on well and this opened up discussion. In the end, I found my team really thought about a feasible, good project and got the impression that other groups did too.”

“I thought the event was successful due to the fact that it was both enjoyable and productive. Personally, I connected with the FBS pupils which allowed us to create a solution to the masculinity project more easily due to open communication. I would love to see more events like these in the future.”