Prefects
At the end of Trinity Term each year, our Headmaster has the privilege of awarding the new Head Boy and Head Girl roles for the following year. He will also appoint the new Prefect body members from Lower Sixth for the following year.
The pupils are chosen following a rigorous application and selection process. In some ways, the selection of prefects is an invidious thing for a school to do, as many applicants will be unsuccessful, despite having outstanding school records, and great attitudes towards Oswestry School. Some schools go for an approach that sees all of the Upper Sixth take on responsibility, while others slim it down to a very narrow elite. We currently have 19 appointed prefects, a number that is enough to cover the duties, and represent the Houses, without being unmanageable in a meeting, and therefore a group that is able to work collaboratively for the benefit of the school.
The prefects at Oswestry are expected to contribute a great deal, but it is important to remember that so are all of the Upper Sixth, who are all role models to the younger years. Having a gown, or a title, does not make you a leader, and some of the best contributors over the years have not necessarily been prefects. It is what they do, not whether they have a title that really matters.