Just before half term I ran a training course for ASCL (the Association of School and College Leaders), as part of this we collected together a wide variety of student voice activities that the participants had come across. We also highlighted a number of issues that could come up in trying to implement these schemes.
I thought this was a great collection so I’m sharing them with you here. Please add any other ideas in the comments and I’ll add them to the mindmap.
To see the whole mindmap (it’s pretty large) click on 
(in the middle at the top), this will collapse all the levels. Then click on the little plus signs on each ‘node’ to expand it. The whole map can be dragged around too. (If this is just too complicated there’s a list version underneath)
[iframe http://mind42.com/pub/mindmap?mid=ca7480b6-1c1e-4967-9747-f328bb4b3b09 100% 500px]
To see the whole mindmap (it’s pretty large) click on (in the middle at the top), this will collapse all the levels. Then click on the little plus signs on each ‘node’ to expand it. The whole map can be dragged around too. (If this is just too complicated there’s a list version underneath)
Student Voice Ideas and Issues
- + –
Behaviour- + –
Support- Conflict resolution
- Target setting
- Buddies
- + –
Monitoring/enforcement- Student Panel
- Prefect System
- Prefect system based on school council
- ‘Self Government’ responsible for rules
- + –
Policy-making- Code of Conduct
- Setting class groundrules
- Linking local community to school council to deal with after school issues
- Head boy/girl oversee prefect system
- Rewards and sanctions group
- + –
- + –
Issues- + –
Due to structure- Involving all students
- Power
- Money
- Time
- Influence
- Succession
- + –
Fears- Is it democratic?
- Censorship required?
- Getting a representative group
- Getting responses completed and handed back
- Pleasing everyone
- Unsupportive colleagues
- + –
Individuals’ ability- + –
Lack of training- Staff
- Students
- Making decsions
- Planning issues
- Confidentiality
- Realistic/appropriate ideas
- + –
- + –
Perception issues- Seen negatively by other students
- Pupils not on council/identified by badges, ties, etc. might feel they have less influence
- Getting people to recognise the importance
- + –
- + –
Teaching and Learning- Pupil interview panels
- Students to reseacrh attitudes to learning
- + –
Peer support- Peer assessment
- Peer mentoring
- Peer tutoring (reluctant readers)
- Student academic mentors
- + –
Formal student evaluation- Student SEF
- Faculty reviews
- Insted (student Ofsted)
- Lesson observations by student council
- Reviews
- Student observers
- Students observing rooms focussing on noticeboards and levelled work
- + –
Informal student evaluation- Learning walks
- Discussion on T&L
- + –
Student planning and teaching- Students teaching G&T lessons
- Numeracy, literacy and sports leaders
- Curriculum planning
- Ambassadors for different subject areas
- Sports ambassadors
- + –
Environment- + –
Eco- + –
Reducing carbon footprint- Students approached governors and got £500 to kick off project
- Campaign to use both sides of paper in ICT
- + –
Eco council- Huge electricity bill
- School eco bag
- Sustainability
- Recycled stationery shop
- Eco bags competition
- + –
- + –
Built environment- Surveys
- Students designing toilets in BSF
- Changing the building
- Environmental group (outside spaces)
- + –
School environment- Sub-committees
- New uniform put in place by school council
- School improvement
- House leaders recognised through their tie and jumpers
- Fund raising for school council to meet objectives
- + –
- + –
Relationships- Appointments
- + –
Leaders wristbands- Community
- Befriender
- Attender
- + –
Fund raising activities- Enterprise
- Anti-bullying (FAB)
- Good Citizenship Awards
- + –
Peer mentoring- Bullying
- Advisors
- Student website
- Council target setting using SMART targets to measure success
- Creating a handbook for new migrant students
- + –
Other- Attending governors meetings
- Student-led magazine
- Tour guides
- Representing the school at events
- Students helping with SEF
- Decorating toilets
- Participatory budgeting
- Student leadership
- + –
Major officials system- 1 vote per member of school
- + –
Charity decisions- Fund raising
- + –
Policy discussion- + –
Anti-racism policy- How staff should deal with racism in class
- + –
- Pupils running enrichment activities
- + –
Whole school celebrations- Black history month
- E-safety
- Uniform changes
- Assemblies
- School council
- + –
Anti-smoking campaign- Patches