We saw democracy in action when the school became a polling station for the day. The children voted and placed their votes in the ballot box.
We are pleased to say we now have 14 newly elected school councillors.
A massive well done and thank you must be said to all the children who took time to write a manifesto – you should all feel proud of yourselves.
The School’s Council is an ideal opportunity for pupils to get more involved in the way the school is run; it is after all their school. We respect and value the thoughts and opinions of our children and whilst it may not always be possible or practical to do everything they suggest, the children do have some fantastic ideas and are able to accept why some ideas may not work well for the school community.
The School Council benefits the whole school, pupils and teachers, because it provides opportunities for pupils to communicate their feelings as well as influence decisions that are made within school.
Councillors develop skills such as confidence, communication and negotiation. It is the responsibility of each Councillor to ensure that they express both their own views and the views of all the other pupils they represent.
Any child in the school can stand to be a school council rep for their class. It is not a decision made by teachers, nor do they have to be the cleverest person in the class. A good school councillor does need to have some of the following qualities though:
Anyone!
We have a School Council with boys and girls representing their fellow pupils from each class in Years 2 to Year 6.
Each councillor is elected by their classmates at the beginning of the school year after a short presentation explaining why they should be elected. This develops children’s understanding of one of British values: democracy. They also understand that with democracy comes responsibility.
Members of the Council take part in discussions and votes and also feedback any relevant information to their class. At times they are requested to ask their class for ideas or take class votes relating to discussions by the Council.
Members meet regularly with Mrs Wilson and Mrs Barker to discuss ways in which they feel they can influence the school for the better. This may be ideas to improve playtimes, after school clubs, lessons or what charities they want to support through fund-raising activities.
As well as holding the occasional fund-raising event during the year, the School Council have also been tasked to think of ways that the school can strengthen its links to the local community.