School Council

Our School Council is a representative group of students who have been proposed and elected by their peers to represent students’ views and raise issues with the Senior Managers and Governors of the school.

Aims of the School Council

The aim of the School Council is to put the student voice at the heart of learning and school life where young people enjoy and feel empowered by their education and feel that their school responds to their needs and views.

By being exposed to real life issues and challenges, students learn that they might not always get what they want but recognise that their voice is heard in real decision making about things that matter to them. The student voice has a high priority within schools these days and we recognise that by giving students a “voice” in how the school operates benefits everybody in many ways. Student voice gives students a sense of ownership of their school, promotes a feeling of responsibility among young people and enables them to play an active role in making their school a better place.

How does the School Council work?

The Council consists of two student representatives per year group with meetings held at least once per term and more if necessary. Before each Council meeting, tutor groups are asked to come up with any issues which they would like included on the agenda. Students, staff and members of the Senior Leadership Team meet and discuss the agenda and minutes of the meeting are then posted on the school’s website and on the Council’s notice board where individual students can access them.

Examples of the influence the Council has had in our school are provided below:

• Partnership links with Lancashire Youth Council
• Introducing democratic processes by taking part every year in the Make Your Mark Campaign where results are used to decide the policies to be debated by members of the Youth Parliament in the House of Commons
• The provision of drinking water around the school
• Charity work and fund-raising e.g. Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day
• Litter issues and the impact on the environment
• Working with the school caterers to provide well priced and nutritional food
• The purchase of school lockers and benches to enhance student life at school

Student voice can and does make a difference!