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

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

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