School Prefects

School prefects are selected from the lower sixth and are appointed either in the first 'batch' at the end of the Spring term or in the second 'batch' part way through the Summer term. If you don't make one of the 'batches' though, there is nothing to say you will never be a prefect. You could well be recommended later on in the Summer term or when you're in the uppers. In each academic year there will be about 80 prefects.

Prefects are appointed to assist in the day to day running of the school, for example, giving school tours and controlling the lunch queue. Millfield actually has two divisions of prefects. Senior prefects, about 20, are appointed from the lower sixth prefects at the end of the Summer term. They then have a year of responsibility for organising rotas etc for teams of prefects within the area that they are allocated to. The Tuck Shop is one such area. 4 Senior prefects are put in charge of this for the year and it is their job to rota about 30 prefects to do duties of overseeing the Tuck Shop whenever it is open. Generally the Senior prefects don't do duties but they will often be asked to do other things such as taking visitors to lunch with the headmaster.

Millfield also has Heads of school but as it is such a big school more people are given the opportunity to hold the post by having a different Head boy and girl for each of the three terms. These posts are selected only from the Senior prefects. Being a prefect or a Senior prefect at Millfield is something that looks pretty good on your UCAS form or CV but unfortunately the job doesn't come with many privileges. Going on exeat at break time on Saturday isn't bad, but the best is being allowed to go to the bar on Friday nights!

Prefects can be recognised around school by a blue tie with a silver windmill motif on for the boys and a windmill sail motif brooch for the girls. Senior prefect boys also have a blue tie but the motif is the Millfield emblem with a light blue laurel wreath at the bottom. Girls have the same brooch as for a prefect but with a windmill that hangs from the sail. The head boy has the same tie as a senior prefect but the laurel wreath is gold. The head girl wears an antique gold brooch said to be worth about £250, this is replaced by a silver replica once she has completed her 'term in office' as the gold brooch is passed on to the new head girl.