Student Leadership

There are many leadership opportunities for the students of Athboy Community School.

At Junior Cycle, we have Junior Mentors. These are second year students who work with 1st years and help them get settled in and engage with them throughout the year. They help with things like lockers, finding rooms and general queries. The junior mentors also help out at school events throughout the year.

In Transition Year, we have Restorative Practice Mentors. These students will be trained to deliver lessons to 1st year and 2nd year students and will then continue to connect with them throughout the year.

In Senior Cycle we have a Prefect system in place in Athboy C.S. for both 5th and 6th year students. The prefects are role models for other pupils in the school. They get involved in the organisation of activities for the younger students in the school community. They help to organise and coordinate events with the teachers. They also work with a class tutor to help monitor the positive progress of students in that class. Two School Captains are chosen in 6th year from those who have been prefects in 5th year.

Junior Mentors

Second Year students are given the opportunity to interview to become mentors to First Year students on completion of their own first year of school.

The role involves being assigned to four or five First Year students whose lockers are beside each other. The mentor makes themselves available in the mornings to help others with organising their books and materials and provides advice and support with getting around the building.

The Junior Mentor will also help out with First Year homework club, with events involving younger students and with organising activities such as Open Night and taster visits from primary school students.

What Are the Benefits of Doing the RP Student Mentors Programme?

Our Transition Year Mentors are given the opportunity to train to be RP Mentors.

This Restorative Practice Student Mentor Programme with RP Connect offers a wonderful way for our Transition Year Mentors to:

• Develop relational leadership & oracy skills of senior students
• Cultivate a connected environment for younger/new students were they feel a sense of belonging
• Operationalise an existing mentor role with resources, lesson plans, games & activities
• Scaffolds to celebrate Student Participation & Student Voice
• Promote a literacy and more importantly, an experience of relational practices
• Enable RP broadcasting to parents/guardians

The Student Council

Our Student Council is a very innovative group who have worked in conjunction with the Association for Community and Comprehensive Schools, our managerial body, on a variety of areas such as Student Voice and Student Participation.

The Council is made up of elected representatives from each class/year group who meet regularly to discuss student life and how they can get maximum benefit from their time in school.

We use a democratic lottery to elect junior cycle students in which students nominate themselves for election and names are selected randomly from the nominees in a public event.
Senior Cycle students are elected in the traditional way.