A beacon of inspiration

We are incredibly proud of our academic prefects at Worth who have been excellent role models to the school community this year.

They were selected on the basis on academic achievements and their proposals for academic student leadership in the School.

Mrs Alice McNeill, Deputy Head (Academic), said: “Their ideas and innovations of student voice, student mentoring, study support clinics and use of the Spencer Building have been revolutionary in terms of the impact this had on attitude to learning in the junior and middle schools, as well as amongst their peers.

“Holding offers from some of the most prestigious universities, including Cambridge, Imperial, Warwick, Lancaster, York and Durham, the academic prefects are a beacon of inspiration to the student body as a whole.”

We asked our academic prefects what the role meant to them.

Finian said: “Being a prefect is more than wearing a tie – it’s a role that requires commitment to fulfil properly. Over my time at Worth I saw the effort that staff put into fostering a healthy working environment so I wanted to be a part of that team. The teachers work tirelessly to not only enable our success, but to also inspire a genuine love of our subjects. The recently built Spencer Building has provided an ideal study environment in the lead up to exams.”

Simon said: “For me, being an academic prefect means constantly contributing to the spirit of learning present at Worth. Whether through supporting other pupils with their revision, organising academic events such as the Sixth Form Fair or just ‘leading by example’ – presenting diligence and responsibility in my own academic studies – my mission is to encourage Worthians to pursue intellectual self-development and to create a strong, supportive learning community.

“I would recommend Worth for its unmistakable teaching quality. I love that every teacher offers the pupils personalised support and helps us get used to the exam structure; I also really like our learning facilities, both physical (like the newly opened Spencer Building) and virtual (like the Worth JSTOR subscription) – they allow us to fully immerse ourselves in our academic studies.”

Max, who is on course to read History and English Literature, said: “Being an academic prefect is not just about making sure that people achieve top grades but rather encouraging people to strive to make the best of their abilities. It is not about putting pressure on others but guiding people in order to make sure they feel fulfilled. Academics at Worth emphasise support and care for each individual pupil, with no-one being left behind. A collective journey is taken with a pupil and their teacher and that’s what makes academics at Worth so significant and why I recommend it so much.”

Daniel, who will read Chemical Engineering, summarised the role of academic prefect as “helping realise everyone’s academic potential”.

Thank you to the academic prefects for everything they do and continue to do for our academic community here at Worth.

As well as senior prefects and academic prefects, prefects are appointed each year for a number of areas of responsibility within the School. Our second picture shows the 2022-23 prefects following their announcement at Speech Day last year.

For more on an education at Worth click here.