School Council

School Council

• School Council representatives (reps) are elected by their class. Sometimes reps change between terms, but most reps are usually given the opportunity to serve on School Council for the year.
• School Councils meet every 4 weeks.
• Meetings are conducted formally. Students are given the opportunity to chair meetings, write minutes and present topics/issues or raise points from their class or other pupils.
• Students are encouraged to follow up on meetings by feeding back to classes and taking on responsibility for action agreed at meetings.
• Students see an important function of the School Council as an agent of change within the school. Currently the AP feeds back to the SVP. We are looking at pupils themselves feeding back as the obvious next step to the democratic process.

Skills used:

• Listening (contextual attention, listening focus, points raised, others opinions)
• Speaking (contextual discussion and convention, operating effectively in a formal situation – meeting, articulating others views,)
• Reading (minutes, class notes, meeting headlines and text)
• Writing (minutes – skill related to listening & recording salient points, feedback, actions)
• Collective problem solving, collegiate responses
• Theory of mind (pupils have to put themselves metaphorically in the place others to hypothesise about their experience and need, pupils have to try to predict what others are thinking)
• Executive Function (plan, meaningfully include past knowledge in discussion, evaluate and reflect, ask for help, engage in group dynamics, wait to speak until called on, keep track of time)
• Central Coherence (greater ability to see the whole picture, get the point or gist)

Successes of the  KS3&4 Council:

• Voted for Jack Petchy staff and student winners
• Discussed and made recommendations for use of play/break time including a wish list of equipment