Author: SchoolCouncilsUK-Asher

• Working with Estyn to incorporate the National Participation Standards in the new Common Inspection Framework post 2010
• Working with other policy departments here to mainstream pupil participation into key policy areas – e.g. the School Effectiveness Framework, 14 – 19 Learning Pathways and Quality Effectiveness Framework (Post-16)
• Piloting a self-assessment tool to measure progress against the Standards in schools across Wales (currently)
• Completely revamping and developing the web-site (underway)
• Developing level 1, 2, and 3 accreditations for children and young people’s particiaption with OCN (to be piloted this term)
• Marketing and publicity campaign (ongoing), including a booklet for teachers with good practice case studies from across Wales
• Developing training materials for teachers and governors
• Developing a pack for 5 – 7 year olds.

I was just looking at this:

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/participationandlearning/index.asp

It’s the particiaption element of the new curriculum that will be in force in Scotland from 2014 (although is being widely used/built up to already).

The document is interesting.  Also talks a lot about how there are structures other than school councils, but then quite a number of these appear to be school councils that have been given a different name.  It seems there is a real problem with calling something a ‘school council’, that it somehow implies that it’s not interesting, innovative, etc.

What can we do about this?

I just came across this:

http://www.pledgebank.com/

It’s another really good site from mySociety.org

It could be a site we suggest pupils use – or if we don’t want to suggest a site, it’s something that a school couls easily create an ‘off-line’ version of on a noteboard.

I know I don’t know enough about what’s going on in education in Northern Ireland, so when Hamilton House sent this around I thought it could be really useful. I suggest we all have a look.

The current structure of education policy and decision making and how it will change under the reforms

click here

The establishment of the new Education and Skills Authority in April 2009

click here

Current situation – finances

click here

Asher