Take On a Leadership Role

Proof required

Submit: a written confirmation from the teacher or advisor who appointed or oversaw the election — this can be a signed letter, an email, a note on school letterhead, or a photographed confirmation. It must name: (1) your name, (2) the specific role title, (3) the group or organisation, and (4) the start date and expected end date or duration.

What gets checked

• Confirmation comes from an adult in an oversight role (teacher, coach, advisor, principal) — a confirmation from a peer, a parent, or the student themselves does not satisfy this milestone
• Role title is specific — 'school leader' or 'helper' does not pass; the confirmation must name the specific role (Class 8B Representative, Vice President of the Science Club, Under-14s Football Captain, etc.)
• Role involves responsibility for others — if the role is entirely self-directed with no other people affected, it does not meet the GOVERNANCE standard; the confirmation should imply that the role affects the experience or welfare of others

Common mistakes

• Claiming a role that was not genuinely contested or selected — a role that was assigned because no one wanted it, that the student gave themselves, or that exists only because they organised a group of friends is not a formal leadership role; the election or appointment process is what makes the role real
• Submitting a self-written confirmation — the confirmation must come from an adult in an oversight role; a document the student wrote themselves about their own role does not pass regardless of content
• Treating a one-time volunteering task as a leadership role — helping organise a single event is not the same as holding a role with ongoing responsibility; the confirmation must indicate a defined term, not a single occasion

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• The confirmation must come from an adult in an oversight role — a teacher, coach, club advisor, or school administrator; confirm the sender is identifiable and holds genuine oversight of the role
• Check that the confirmation names a specific role title and organisation — 'they are a leader' is not sufficient; 'elected Class 9A Representative on the Student Council for the 2026–27 academic year' is
• If the role was self-assigned rather than elected or appointed, it does not meet the milestone — ask the writer: 'Who chose you for this role, and was there any selection process?' If the answer is 'I decided to do it' or 'no one else wanted to', redirect them to a formal election or appointment process

You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.

Proof required

Submit: (1) a summary of 200+ words describing what you did for others in this role — naming at least two specific actions you took, one decision that was difficult, and one thing you would change; and (2) a brief confirmation from the teacher or advisor (email, note, or message) confirming you completed the full term or project.

What gets checked

• Summary describes actions taken FOR others — if the summary describes only how the writer felt about being in the role, or only lists the role's general duties, it does not pass; specific actions, decisions, and outcomes for other people are required
• At least two specific actions are named — 'I organised meetings' does not pass; 'I organised three meetings about the school lunch menu, collected feedback from 40 classmates, and presented the results to the headteacher' does
• Advisor confirmation of term completion is present — the summary alone, without the adult confirming the term was completed, does not pass; both documents are required

Common mistakes

• Writing about what the role generally involves rather than what the writer specifically did — a description of student council duties is not a summary of the writer's own term; every sentence should start with what the writer did, not what the role is supposed to do
• Abandoning the role before the term ends without documenting why — some roles end early due to genuine circumstances (school year ends, project concludes); if the term was cut short, the advisor confirmation must acknowledge this and note what was completed before the early end
• GOVERNANCE failure mode — claiming to have resolved problems that were resolved by others, or describing peer achievements as their own — ask the writer: 'Is there anything you tried to do that did not work? What happened?' If the summary has no failures or difficulties, probe further; a GOVERNANCE proof that claims perfect execution almost certainly lacks honesty about the limits of the writer's influence

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• The summary must describe specific actions taken for others — check that each action names who was affected and what the outcome was; if the summary only describes the writer's effort without naming any effect on others, ask for one concrete example before approving
• Confirm the advisor signed off on term completion — the advisor confirmation from milestone 2 must explicitly confirm the term was completed (or explain why it ended early); a milestone 1 confirmation alone does not serve as milestone 2 completion evidence
• GOVERNANCE standard check: ask one probing question — 'what was the hardest thing about the role that was outside your control?' A genuine answer to this question distinguishes leaders who held a real role (which is always constrained by others' choices) from those who are summarising a title; if the writer cannot identify anything that was outside their control, the role may not have had real responsibility over others

You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.

Proof required

Submit: (1) your handover brief (100+ words) naming the role's key responsibilities, one recommendation to keep, and one thing to improve; and (2) a brief confirmation from your teacher or advisor (email, note, or message) stating that the handover brief was received or filed for the next person.

What gets checked

• Handover brief is 100+ words and addresses all three required elements — a brief that covers only responsibilities without a 'keep' recommendation and an 'improve' suggestion does not pass
• Brief is addressed to a future person, not a self-reflection — the writing should speak to the next leader ('you will need to…', 'I recommend that you…') rather than to the verifier; a document written as a personal diary entry does not satisfy the handover purpose
• Advisor confirmation is from an adult in an oversight role (teacher, coach, advisor) — a self-signed confirmation or a confirmation from a peer does not satisfy this milestone

Common mistakes

• Writing a reflection disguised as a handover brief — a handover brief is practical advice for the next person, not an account of how the writer felt; every sentence should be useful to someone who has never held the role before
• Failing to deliver the brief to the advisor — the brief must be received or filed by the adult; writing it and keeping it on a personal device without submitting it to anyone does not complete the handover
• GOVERNANCE failure mode — claiming the role 'made a lasting difference' without naming any specific outcome that continues — ask the writer: 'what will happen differently next term because you held this role?' If the answer is 'nothing specific', probe further; a GOVERNANCE proof without a traceable ongoing outcome is incomplete

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• The handover brief must be addressed to a future person in the role — check that it uses second-person language ('you will need to…') rather than first-person reflection ('I felt…'); a document written as a personal diary entry is not a handover brief
• Confirm the brief names all three required elements: key responsibilities, one thing to keep, one thing to improve — if any of the three is missing, ask the student to add it before approving
• GOVERNANCE standard: ask the student 'what will happen differently next term because you held this role?' — a genuine answer names a specific ongoing outcome (a policy, a programme, a relationship, a record) that a future person can build on; 'nothing specific' indicates the brief needs more depth
• Advisor confirmation must state that the brief was delivered or filed — not that the student wrote it; the delivery is the milestone, not the writing

You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.