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Were you a school prefect?

(128 Posts)
biglouis Sat 16-Sept-23 12:38:17

I was never chosen and at the time I was quite annoyed about it.

Academically I was always top of the class, or joint top with my friend. She was made a prefect in final year. I was not. The differences between us:-

She was also sporty and on the school netball/hockey teams
Her parents were well off and was always beautifully turned out.

I on the other hand hated sport and did everything I could to avoid it. I never looked "tidy" because my uniforms were second hand from the Liverpool "Paddies market".

I used to imagine that her success in being selected a prefect was because she was more of an all rounder and her immaculate appearance.

I now recognise that it was probably more a matter of attitude. I always had a somewhat cavalier approach to the school rules. I got off with a great deal because of my academic success and prowess in music and drama and my willingness to represent the house in competitions. I never turned up for detention, not once. I often answered back teachers in a way which appeared cheeky and entitled.

Prefects need to present themselves as a role model to other students. I never aspired to that but tended to plough my own furrow.

Were you ever a prefect or school captain? Did you aspire to the role or were you simply selected?

Boz Tue 19-Sept-23 11:45:37

When I was voted as Form Leader, the teacher asked the class to reconsider and declared the vote null and void.

Yearoff Tue 19-Sept-23 11:40:08

I was a prefect, house captain and then school vice captain. I was academic but definitely not sporty. I was really proud to be chosen. Although if had been a popularity contest I would never have been chosen!

SachaMac Tue 19-Sept-23 11:37:34

I was chosen to be a prefect in Year 6, my friend was made Head Girl, she was very bright but quite rebellious, maybe the teachers saw that as confidence. Her older sister had also been Head Girl.
We wore a nice enamelled prefect badge & got to pull the naughty boys out of the line when they were walking back into school after playtime wink

Koalama Tue 19-Sept-23 11:36:50

Yes a was a prefect, my parents were no different to others I was a bit sporty but nothing big, I think it was because I was well liked by most kids and teachers, something that tbf followed me through life too, they did ask me to be head girl, but I felt that may put people of me a little bit so I declined but continued to be a prefect

Callistemon21 Mon 18-Sept-23 16:59:27

Maggiemaybe

We didn’t have prefect badges. We had “girdles”, woven belts about an inch thick that went round our waists and hung down to just above the hems of our skirts at the back. Green for prefects, pale blue for the committee. Badges in addition for the head girl and her deputy.

We had different coloured girdles according to which house you were placed in.

Aveline Mon 18-Sept-23 16:39:42

JackyB it's ok to run these days but try not to flap your arms!

Maggiemaybe Mon 18-Sept-23 12:40:38

We didn’t have prefect badges. We had “girdles”, woven belts about an inch thick that went round our waists and hung down to just above the hems of our skirts at the back. Green for prefects, pale blue for the committee. Badges in addition for the head girl and her deputy.

JackyB Mon 18-Sept-23 11:46:10

When I was in the Fifth form, the sixth formers used to laugh at me (not maliciously, at least. I didn't take it that way) and say I'd never be a prefect because I was always running up and down the corridors, flapping my arms.

Well, on the first day in the Upper Sixth I was all the more amazed to find I had been made a prefect. I was also House Captain. I don't know who designated the perfects nor on what criteria, and I can't remember having a badge. I did try and remember not to run any more.

bikergran Mon 18-Sept-23 11:09:30

Lol deff not! spent some of my time in the Headmistresses office. grin

Oopsadaisy1 Mon 18-Sept-23 10:27:41

I was, I wasn’t sporty or ‘well turned out’ but I worked hard. I was chosen by my ‘Years’ pupils and my name sent to the Headmaster who said Yes, I think there were 6 of us elected.

I enjoyed it, I could do my homework whilst I sat at the front door of the school, in case anyone came in late or we had visitors. No one ever came in late whilst I was on the door 🤫 and we rang the 3 minute and then the end of lesson bell.
I couldn’t stay late to do detention as I had to get the school bus back home to my far off village.

dogsmother Mon 18-Sept-23 10:18:24

No pretty much finished with school by 14 😮

LadyGracie Sun 17-Sept-23 22:39:14

I was a Prefect, why, I don't know, I hated school.

Patsy70 Sun 17-Sept-23 21:37:07

Yes, I was a prefect in the 6th form (year 12 these days). I was also Games Captain in years 10/11. Certainly not a perfect prefect, as we used to sneak off for a smoke in the lunch hour! 😳

Katie59 Sun 17-Sept-23 21:24:26

I was made a prefect but I can’t remember why, they thought I was a goody two shoes, but I just hadn’t been caught, exciting duties like supervising meals and detentions.

Casdon Sun 17-Sept-23 21:22:07

Reading about people’s badges - mine was blue with Prefect written on it in gold (brass) but it wasn’t a shield, it was long, with rounded corners. Out of curiosity I typed prefect badge into Google, and I entered a time warp because I swear that you can still get the exact same badges, they haven’t changed at all in over 40 years!

VioletSky Sun 17-Sept-23 21:13:34

No, all they seemed to do was roam the school making sure everyone was outside at lunchtime

I wanted to be in the library, they were the enemy

eazybee Sun 17-Sept-23 21:03:00

I was a sixth form prefect bu not one of the lordly ones who stood on the platform with the Headmistress and senior staff.

Choosing prefects many years later I looked for pupils who were sensible, reliable and always completed jobs they were asked to do, (which explains why it was a long time before I became a prefect.)

mamaa Sun 17-Sept-23 20:36:21

Wasn’t a prefect at primary school, possibly because class teacher didn’t like me and the feeling was mutual. Fast forward 5 years, was Head Girl at High school, felt vindicated although I’d done nothing ‘wrong’ in the earlier years!

Enidd Sun 17-Sept-23 20:26:35

Nope! Nor did I ever want to. It would mean standing out and I’d have hated that.

Callistemon21 Sun 17-Sept-23 20:26:18

Mine's a red and gold pin on badge shaped like a shield.

In fact, I'd forgotten all about it until this thread.

annodomini Sun 17-Sept-23 20:24:07

Now I remember that what I really wanted was the prefect's badge (silver with small school badge in the middle) and the opportunity to stitch gold cord all round the edges on my blue blazer. The latter was important because several of my classmates were in the first XI and had silver cord on their blazers and now gold as well. I was only in the second XI, sad

karmalady Sun 17-Sept-23 20:15:55

Yes, I liked to help organise things and always volunteered. Not that sporty but liked to take part

Charleygirl5 Sun 17-Sept-23 20:06:00

I was at a boarding school run by nuns and I was goody two shoes, good at most sport, loved it and was middle of the road academically but could have done anything if I had applied myself.

I was a prefect but cannot remember if it was the pupils or nuns or a mixture who voted me in.

I loved it there, the best years of my life.

fiorentina51 Sun 17-Sept-23 16:46:03

My secondary school was an odd place. It has in recent years, been described as a cross between Hogwarts and St Trinians. I was made a prefect in the 4th form and eventually became Deputy Head Girl.
I was reasonably bright but didn't achieve much academically. I wasn't in the least bit sporty and my parents were working class and had as little to do with the school as possible.
Not a clue why I was chosen. Possibly in order to instil a sense of responsibility as in my early days at the school I wasn't a model pupil.
I think it worked. I haven't been in trouble with the police since I was 8. 🙂

BlueBelle Sun 17-Sept-23 13:23:31

I was one of the less affluent in my class but yes I became a prefect Not sure if it was chosen by teachers or pupils I can’t remember I was nt sporty or top of the class, very middle of the road in everything so not sure why I was chosen but I still have my green prefects badge