Our School Council is made up of two children from each class. They meet a number of times a term with a teacher to discuss ways in which we could improve the school and share ideas that their classmates have come up with.
Recent projects that the School Council have been involved with include:
The School Council are a vital part of giving children an opportunity to speak out and have their ideas heard.
The school council is a democratically elected, inclusive, structured forum for discussion and decision-making. It provides a means for children to raise issues and concerns. It provides an opportunity to consult with all pupils. Each Autumn term two pupils from each class are elected by their class mates to represent their views at the school council meetings. This is usually done by secret ballot.
The school council enables pupils to have a voice and to understand that their opinions count. It enables pupils and staff to work in partnership towards shared goals. It provides a basis for active learning of important life skills, such as speaking and listening skills, teamwork, emotional literacy, problem-solving, moral reasoning skills, self-esteem and self confidence. It also provides a dynamic foundation for learning about citizenship. It fosters a feeling of belonging, encourages listening to others and develops self-confidence.
The elected class representatives meet regularly with a member of staff throughout the school year and then report back to their class and gather feedback for the next meeting.
Through the school council pupils can become more responsible for maintaining good behaviour towards the school community and more able to resolve conflicts amongst their peers. They can raise issues about how the school is organised and have an opportunity to become involved in making changes to areas they feel do not work.
The School Council has decided to introduce a focus on developing better manners and a higher standard of courtesy around the school. The code below has been agreed.