Leadership Camp Essentials: Designing an Experience That Forms Your Future Senior Cohort
For many students, leadership camp is one of the most significant moments in the journey of Senior school. Going beyond the traditional ‘few days away from school’ - leadership camps have the potential to be a carefully designed rite of passage that can unite a cohort, surface emerging leaders, and give school staff a rare opportunity to see students in a different light that challenges and builds their leadership capacity.
When done well, a leadership camp can set the tone for the entire final year. When done poorly, it risks becoming just another outdoor education trip or a box‑ticking exercise. The difference lies in intentional design. Some considerations that ensure a transformative experience for students:
Start with the Why
Before you book a venue or draft an itinerary, clarify the purpose of your camp. Is it:
Cohort unity – strengthening bonds, building trust, and creating a shared identity before the pressures of Year 12 set in.
Leadership selection – observing students in action to inform the appointment of formal leadership roles.
Pastoral/Wellbeing insight – giving staff the chance to see students outside the classroom, revealing strengths, challenges, and dynamics that aren’t visible at school.
Your “why” will shape every decision, from the activities you choose to the way you frame the experience to students. Without it, even the best‑run camp can feel hollow.
The Hero’s Journey as a Camp Blueprint
One powerful way to structure a leadership camp is to borrow from the timeless “hero’s journey” narrative. This gives the experience a natural arc and a sense of significance:
Gather – Bring the cohort together, set the tone, and establish the shared purpose. Pre-briefing and loading your student prior establishes the atmosphere and significance you are wanting to create. This is usually done well in formation/wellbeing lessons prior in the term, or during Year assemblies.
Depart – Physically and symbolically leave the familiar environment of school. This is where you can get creative; one school where I looked after the leadership camp experience had the current senior cohort tunnel out Year 11 students for the last time in Houses. Symbolically through a simple handshake, the current 12's demonstrated that the mantle was about to be passed over.
Challenge – Present meaningful tasks that require collaboration, resilience, and creativity. We want to stretch our cohort on this experience.
Pinnacle – A rite of passage moment: a ritual, challenge, or symbolic act that marks the transition into their final year. e.g. When we were redesigning the leadership camp experience for a school, we decided to symbolically create a ritual for the presentation of Senior shirts, to which students then returned to school as ‘seniors’ – students felt incredibly special in this moment as for them it was almost the coming of age moment.
Debrief – Reflect, make meaning, and connect the experience to the year ahead. Ensure follow up occurs once back at school or after the pinnacle moment to ensure meaning is established.
This structure ensures the camp feels like a journey, not just a collection of activities.
Balancing the Elements
A high‑impact leadership camp blends different modes of engagement:
Doing – Leadership is learned through action. Include physical challenges, problem‑solving tasks, and real‑time decision‑making.
Workshop‑style learning – Short, interactive sessions to explore leadership concepts, communication skills, and values.
Small group/house activities – Build intimacy and trust in smaller groups, allowing quieter voices to emerge. Especially important for schools with large cohorts.
Individual reflection – Give students space to process their learning and consider their personal leadership style.
Cohort challenge – A whole‑group task that requires everyone’s contribution and reinforces unity. A great start or finish activity for the camp.
Envisioning the future – Guide students to imagine the kind of Year 12 they want to create together. This can easily adapt into the Senior pledge for commissioning the following year.
Enacting the vision – Commit to tangible actions they can take back to school.
The magic lies in the interplay, too much of one mode and you risk disengagement.
Common Traps to Avoid
Even experienced educators can fall into these pitfalls:
Just another outdoor education camp – While outdoor activities can be valuable, leadership formation must be front and center. Without it, the camp risks being indistinguishable from any other excursion.
All talking, no action – Students will disengage quickly if they’re only told what leadership “should” look like. They need to experience it, test it, and reflect on it.
Lack of strategic planning – Throwing together activities without a clear arc or purpose leads to a disjointed experience. Every phase should connect to your “why.”
Focusing only on formal leadership roles – If the camp is only about captains and prefects, you alienate the majority of the cohort. Leadership is influence, not just position, every student should leave feeling empowered to lead in their own way.
Key Considerations for Impact
1. Guest Speakers & External Facilitators
Bringing in outside voices can elevate the experience.
Pros:
Fresh perspectives that students may hear differently from non‑staff voices.
Expertise in leadership, resilience, or wellbeing that complements your program.
Ability to model vulnerability and authenticity in ways that inspire.
Limitations:
Risk of a mismatch in tone or relevance if not carefully briefed.
Selecting speakers that haven’t got the lived experience of school settings or young people and therefore miss the target audience.
When schools choose facilitators who align with your school’s values and are briefed well, it’s usually a value-add.
2. Current Captains or Alumni
Your own student leaders and graduates can be the bridge between staff and students.
They speak the same “language” as the cohort.
They can share lived experiences of leadership in your school context.
They model the transition from student to leader in a relatable way.
Hearing from someone who has walked the same corridors and faced the same challenges can be powerful.
3. Symbolising the Significance
A leadership camp should feel like a turning point. Consider:
A symbolic ritual: such as a cohort pledge, a shared artefact, or a ceremonial moment.
A visible change upon return: perhaps a new privilege, responsibility, or role that signals their shift into senior leadership.
A public acknowledgment: assemblies, newsletters, or displays that celebrate the camp’s outcomes.
These markers help students understand that something has changed, and that they are now custodians of the school’s culture.
The Return: Making It Stick
The real test of a leadership camp isn’t what happens during those few days, it’s what happens after. Without follow‑through, even the most inspiring camp can fade into memory.
Debrief with staff – Share observations, identify emerging leaders, and plan how to support them.
Reconnect with students – Hold follow‑up sessions to revisit their vision and track progress. Many schools fall into the trap of thinking the process is done.
Embed the language – Use the metaphors, values, and commitments from camp throughout the year.
When the camp is integrated into the ongoing life of the school, it becomes a launchpad, not an isolated event.
Final Thought
A well‑designed leadership camp has the potential to be a formative experience that can shape the culture of your senior year. By starting with a clear purpose, structuring it as a journey, balancing action with reflection, and avoiding common traps, you give your students more than memories. You give them a shared story, a sense of responsibility, and the tools to lead, whether or not they wear a badge.
If we want our young people to step into their final year with courage, unity, and vision, we must design camps that don’t just tell them they are leaders but let them live it.
If you want a companion Leadership Camp planning Checklist – comment checklist or DM me to receive a copy.