Every year, primary schools choose a new group of student leaders.
Speeches, elections, announcements, and, in many schools, a special presentation ceremony.
It's an exciting time for students stepping into leadership roles.
But schools sometimes overlook one important part of the process.
And it’s perhaps the easiest strategy of all- the Handover
Outgoing student leaders have spent a year learning what it takes to lead.
They've discovered what works, what doesn't work and how to handle the challenges that come with responsibility.
That's valuable learning.
Yet too often, that knowledge walks out the school gate with them.
Let experienced leaders do some of the teaching
One of the simplest ways to prepare incoming student leaders is to give them an opportunity to learn from the students they're replacing.
It doesn't require a complicated program.
Bring outgoing and incoming leaders together, preferably in pairs with similar responsibilities.
Ask the incoming leaders to prepare three questions they'd like answered.
Questions such as:
What's the most important thing you've learned about being a student leader?
What was the hardest part of your role?
What advice would you give someone starting out?
Encourage outgoing leaders to share their experiences, including mistakes they've made and how they've overcome challenges.
Finish by bringing everyone together to share what they've learned.
It's a simple activity, but it achieves two important things.
It gives outgoing leaders an opportunity to reflect on their contribution and finish their leadership journey positively.
And it gives incoming leaders what they need: a clearer understanding of what leadership looks like in practice.
Let them see leadership in action
Where possible, take the handover one step further.
Arrange for incoming leaders to spend some time shadowing the outgoing leaders.
They might observe how a school captain conducts an assembly, how playground leaders organise an activity or how student representatives run a meeting.
Seeing leadership in action can be more useful than simply being told what to do.
Leadership is something you leave behind
Student leadership isn't just about wearing a badge, making speeches or carrying out duties.
It's about learning to take responsibility, work with others, solve problems and make a positive contribution.
Those lessons become more powerful when students share them with one another.
A thoughtful handover sends an important message: leadership isn't just about what you achieve while you're in the role. It's also about what you leave behind for others.
A practical resource for schools
I've recently released the Handover, Induction & Mentoring Kit, part of my Young Leaders Program resources for primary schools.
It includes practical handover activities, structured induction sessions, mentoring activities and student worksheets.
It's designed to help teachers prepare new student leaders while giving outgoing leaders a meaningful opportunity to pass on their experience.
And, of course, it’s a great time-saver.
The digital kit is available now.