Training Tomorrow's Leaders

Already several months into leading assemblies, organising House events, and representing their peers, Wenona's Prefects and House Captains have deepened their leadership capacity with some intensive professional training.

During a full day of learning at the GRIP Leadership conference in Castle Hill, the students examined the kinds of challenges they will face, working alongside team members to develop the skills that will shape School culture in the months ahead.

Our newest student leaders are following in the footsteps of excellent role models from the Class of 2025, while finding their own voices and gaining an understanding of their personal leadership styles. A commitment to empowering young women through leadership opportunities and training runs throughout the Wenona experience. From Junior School initiatives to Senior College responsibilities, girls learn to advocate for what they believe in, challenge perspectives and inspire change. 

This conference, run by GRIP Leadership, provided a solid foundation. It offered practical tools, lessons in setting benchmarks and the opportunity to gain insights from student leaders from other schools who face the same responsibilities.

The conference focused on immediate, practical application. In the first session, the concept posed was: what needs to be done, not what is easiest to do. It offered practical tools and a framework to identify the most pressing challenges in the Wenona context and design realistic action plans. 

In the second session, the students considered issues such as how to meet expectations while maintaining integrity, step outside their comfort zones and build the capacity to take on more responsibility, when balancing demanding academic learning with extensive co-curricular commitments.

Throughout the day, the leaders selected workshops tailored to their specific roles. House Captains explored techniques for managing large peer groups and creating positive experiences for everyone. Others developed public speaking skills, examined how to foster inclusive friendships, or learnt practical approaches for gaining teacher support and building student momentum behind new initiatives.

What made the day particularly valuable was that Wenona's entire leadership team attended together. They now share a common language and scaffold, ensuring that when challenges arise, they can draw on the same set of tools and approaches.

They have also returned with a deeper understanding that effective leadership means putting others first, leading by example, and improving themselves so they can help others improve.

An understanding of how to identify and address challenges, rally support for new ideas and speak confidently in front of peers, creates a stronger, more connected School culture overall.