Onward

1 / Find a contribution that fits

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1. Map a normal school week, including travel and responsibilities outside lessons.
2. Ask a club member or staff supporter about one task with a clear end point.
3. Agree how much time you'll give, who can help and when you'll talk about how it went.

2 / Work out what you can decide

Before you take on a school task, check which decisions you can make, which need the group and which need staff approval. Try this with something specific, such as changing a club meeting or publishing an announcement. Ask where the current process is explained and what information the person deciding needs. Getting this clear early helps you put forward an idea without promising something you can't yet confirm.

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1. Choose one upcoming task and list the decisions involved.
2. Check each decision with the group or staff supporter and record who handles it.
3. Prepare the information needed for the first decision that is outside your role.

3 / Try one piece of real work

Try a small part of a school project to see how the work happens. For a welcome activity or student media team, ask what makes joining easy and what gets in the way. You could check the welcome information or help explain a first assignment. Agree who will review your work and how you'll tell whether it helped. Write down what happened so you have something specific to improve next time.

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1. Ask someone who recently joined what they needed to know at the start.
2. Choose one small task, set a deadline and agree who will check it with you.
3. Try it, note what happened and talk about one thing to change next time.

4 / Explain your contribution

For an application or interview, start with what you actually did. While you still remember the details, save a few examples: your agreed task, something you made, feedback or a result you can explain. Say what you did and give others credit for their part. Explain a choice you made or something you learned when it got difficult. A small project or mixed result can still give you a specific, honest example.

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1. Choose one recent responsibility and note the situation, your actions and what happened.
2. Find a suitable record of your work without including other people's private information.
3. Write a short description and check that every claim matches your actual contribution.

5 / Share the work

Write down what everyone has agreed to do, with a name and deadline for each task. Check that the timing fits around classes and other commitments, and that people have what they need to get started. Use the next meeting to see how it's going and adjust the plan. If someone is stuck, say what needs to change so the rest of the group knows how to help.

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1. Turn the plan into a short list of tasks, who's doing each one and the agreed dates.
2. Check the order of tasks and add any materials, information or staff input they need.
3. Set a brief progress check and record changes where everyone can find them.