11-year-olds take over at Worthing school

Two 11-year-olds took charge at a junior school in Worthing for a day.
Ella Beardsley, 11, and Jasper Smith, 11, were head teacher for a day at Thomas  A'Becket Junior School in Worthing. Picture: Kate Shemilt ks180312-2Ella Beardsley, 11, and Jasper Smith, 11, were head teacher for a day at Thomas  A'Becket Junior School in Worthing. Picture: Kate Shemilt ks180312-2
Ella Beardsley, 11, and Jasper Smith, 11, were head teacher for a day at Thomas A'Becket Junior School in Worthing. Picture: Kate Shemilt ks180312-2

Ella Beardsley and Jasper Smith were given a briefing by assistant head teacher Zoe Borley on Monday morning before making plans for the day at Thomas A’Becket Junior School in Tarring.

Head for the Day is an annual event at the school, giving the chairman and vice-chairman of the school council the opportunity to take on more responsibility.

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One of the responsibilities is to write a report for the local newspaper, the Worthing Herald, which Jasper and Ella started in the morning.

They wrote: “As chairman and vice-chairman of the school council, we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to be the co-head teachers of TAB Junior for the day on Monday, July 2.

“Our day started at 08.15am, when we met with assistant head teacher Mrs Borley for a briefing. We talked about our plans for the day and headed for the staffroom to lead the weekly ‘shout’, a meeting explaining what is happening during the week.

“Then, we headed outside for morning duty outside the school, greeting the children and answering their questions about what we were doing.

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“Next on the agenda was visiting years four, five and six, observing lessons and even giving out stickers for fabulous work in 5PG.

“At 10.30am, we started our article for the Worthing Herald and had our pictures taken while leading a class, before then heading to the year-three classrooms, taking observation notes which we then typed up.

“After that, we led a lower school assembly about responsibility, which we really enjoyed, before taking lunch duty outside for years three and four.

“Next, after we had eaten our own lunch, we led an upper school assembly and put the finishing touches to our article and lesson notes before heading outside for our final duty of the day.

“We thoroughly enjoyed our day and thought it was a great opportunity. We hope next year have as much fun as we did.”