Primrose Hill Primary School in London recently had a new head for the day, and in a rather unusual interview process involving nearly 500 applicants, the winner was chosen by raffle.
Initially proposed as a "fun day" fundraiser, the idea was that for one day only, a pupil would take over as head. But as the day drew nearer, the school decided to look at the wider education implications.
As well as the head, there would be an acting deputy and a member of the dinner staff. All the children were asked to "apply" for jobs by stating what they would do if they got one of them. Headteacher Koushi Silva was happy to let someone take over her role and she volunteered to take the winning child's place in class. "The whole school was buzzing," says Silva.
Although the initial plans involved the rather obvious - "If I were head of the school for the day, I would close it" - they opened up many opportunities for discussion. The children began to grasp the legal requirements of their education: that they have to receive education for five and a half hours on a specific number of days per year.
Lots of children seemed to like the idea of bossing people around, but ideas and views developed rapidly and by the end of the week things were serious. Silva was asked by one 10-year-old how to get government approval in time to complete the changes she wanted to enforce.
A week after the initial announcement, the raffle was drawn and the winners planned an agenda for the day. The new staff were Daniel Turner, age seven, headteacher; Keira Snoek, age 10, deputy head; and Kunle Joacquim, eight, dinner helper.
A newsletter announced the changes and forewarned staff they were to "wear something different" - most opted to wear their night clothes. Daniel and Silva swapped places in assembly, and Silva then spent Friday going from class to class, which is school policy for a new child. Meanwhile, Daniel and Keira also went from class to class - asking what the children had learnt and checking on continuity, presentation and handwriting.
They threw themselves into their roles, starting with playground duty while Silva was waiting for the lollipop man to help her cross the road. Keira took the infant assembly and admitted, "It was quite scary. My legs were all wobbly."
Their busy schedule was interrupted by naughty children who had been sent to the head. They were dealt with calmly, the problem resolved. Keira said an earlier tussle with a boy who had spat on the floor didn't go so well: "I had a bit of trouble with him."
Kunle Joacquim had a lot of fun being a dinner helper. His main duty appeared to be "telling people to be quiet and stuff". Some didn't take any notice, he said, but then, neither did he usually.
The three children all agreed they had a better understanding of what teachers do, and that it was easier to be children. The head - interrupted from his executive toy jigsaw - agreed that it was very hard work, and shot off for some more playground duty. Joacquim went to help clear up after lunch. And Keira looked at a huge pile of post and wondered how on earth she would stay awake at a party that evening.
For Silva, it was an opportunity to see what really mattered to the children. "I've got a different perspective on the school. I had a different level of conversation with the children." Silva stressed that one of the attractions of the project was the chance of creating a better understanding. "Adults don't always take the time to explain decisions that are made on behalf of the children, and through this role reversal, the children clearly saw what is involved in the running of the school."
Not only was a good time had by all, but £250 was raised, and the exercise is already being spoken of as an annual event.
