A brief summary of the findings of School Councils UK’s 2007 action research project, which looked at how far a selection of London secondary schools could take pupil voice with dedicated support.
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Advanced School Councils Ideas for School Improvement Research Summary of Findings
School Councils 6 School Improvement Advanced School Councils ideas for school improvement Contents & Introduction Contents Behaviour sub-councils Introduction 3 4 5 6 7 In 2004, School Councils UK commissioned the first in-depth action research project to explore the potential of genuine pupil participation to improve schools. School Councils UK aims to share the key ideas and findings from the project with schools. The final report was released in September 2007 and is available from School Councils UK or on-line as a free download at www.schoolcouncils.org. The project manager, an experienced teacher, worked with researchers in eight London secondary schools between September ‘04 and July ‘07. Staff, students and their School Councils were encouraged to innovate, explore and push the boundaries over the three years. Pupils created their own behaviour panels, were involved in staff appointments, began researching teaching and learning through lesson observations and established sub-councils with specific remits, in addition to more ‘traditional’ School Council work. Teaching & learning sub-councils Heath & well-being School management Summary of recommendations 2 • One school created a behaviour panel, made up of students. The panel worked to identify types and instances of classroom disruption through observation and surveys. • Students were trained to support disruptive youngsters through peer mediation and by helping them to set targets for improved behaviour. They also tackled issues such as bullying and vandalism in their schools. • Students were asked to help in the creation of behaviour policies. • Students ran workshops to share good practice with other schools. 66% of schools saw an improvement in relationships between students 58% of schools reported an improvement in relationships between staff and students Behaviour sub-councils Peer mediation helps because … it gets rid of the problems and the violence…these two students they’d been fighting on several occasions and the teachers have tried and tried and they’ve never been able to sort them out … I’ve tried, the first time, and I’ve been able to sort it out … and I think that’s Student – Peer Mediator a big achievement. I used to get in trouble all the time. And I was a bit of a bully, and that’s why people respected me coz I was doing that….but I don’t wanna leave school knowing that I’m known as the bully that everyone respected because he done bad things. I wanna be known as the guy that was responsible because he done something constructive and helped others and left a good message. Student – Peer Mediator I think mentoring is a big thing … what I’ve realised is that the Year 7s in my form, they can open up about anything. If they can’t say it to the tutor, they can say it to me. Student – Class Councillor 66% 58% 3 Teaching and learning sub-councils • Students were trained in research techniques that allowed them to conduct systematic, targeted lesson observations. • They provided feedback and data to teachers following observations; for each observation a specific, pre-agreed aspect of the teaching was highlighted, observed, data collected and then discussed by teacher and observer. • Their work informed pupil-led INSET for staff. 65% of teachers in the schools involved in lesson observations thought that the School Council made a positive impact on teaching and learning compared to 39% in schools without teaching and learning sub-councils I wanted the children to be very aware of the emotional risk that the teachers were taking by inviting a dialogue about their teaching. The children responded very well and began, straight away, to see the teachers as people with emotional needs. Project Manager Teaching has been improving, our lessons have been improving so I think that has got to be the greatest thing we’ve done. Student observer Obviously their training made it clear to them that they couldn’t give a grade to a member of staff or say that’s a bad teacher, that’s a good teacher, but all the students came back with very positive feedback on the teacher they saw. Teacher I think the staff think they we’re doing quite a good job to help them with their learning. School Councillor 65% 4 • Through regular class council meetings every student had the opportunity to have their voice heard. • Involving pupils in the decision-making of the school boosted self-esteem; students felt they were listened to and that their views were taken into account. This encouraged a sense of ownership and pride in the school. • Environmental sub-councils improved areas of the school such as public areas and outside spaces. • School Councils developed pupils’ life skills in listening, negotiation, compromising and debating. Health and well-being 66% of schools saw an improvement in relationships between students The School Council also has the capacity to turn so-called ‘lost children’ or those well on the way to being lost into leaders, we tap the skills that they use to become rebels and rabble rousers and we make charismatic leaders out of them. Teacher They gain understanding of how to express themselves, how to listen to other people, they develop skills from being in meetings and from communicating with their peer group. Teacher I think it’s important to be on the School Council because it makes you feel that you belong to the school. School Councillor 70% saw a positive impact on self-esteem 66% 70% 5 School management • Students were involved in staff appointments. • Students observed and commented on lessons taught as part of the interview process. • Students joined Senior Management Team discussions. • Student Governors joined Governors’ meetings. 71% of teachers saw an improvement in decision-making 58% reported an improvement in relationships between staff and students Recently, the School Council were involved in selecting Directors of Study … they were absolutely professional, they asked questions that were straight to the point, if they needed further detail they asked for that as well. If you weren’t actually watching the students, and you were just listening to them, they could easily be mistaken for adults. Teacher The Head Teacher, she’s all up for us having our School Council and everything, coz, when we have our meetings she always comes to us and says well done and she’ll tell us to our face why things may not happen. School Councillor The effects, in terms of teaching and learning, outside the effects that it has on individual students, has been wonderful, has been pretty significant in the few years that we’ve involved students actively in governance. Deputy Head Teacher We can make the school a better place. School Councillor 58% 71% 6 • School Councils could usefully be made compulsory in schools, but only if they are timetabled and funded. • School Council work should be accredited. • School Councils should have a central role – not merely consultative – in helping to formulate and create policy. • School Council work needs monitoring as does any other area of curriculum and learning. • Key achievements occurred when students were accepted as ‘professionals’ who could make valuable contributions to the school because of their considerable experience and expertise on teaching and learning, on behaviour and on school climate. • School Councils need the direct oversight and validation of the Head Teacher. • There need to be clear lines of communication from the School Council through Class Councils, Year Councils, and executive groups so that an individual voice can be heard and quick feedback given. Recommendations Personally, I am convinced that there is no such thing as a ‘little bit of democracy’ in schools – just as it is, in my view, undesirable to have a little bit of student voice. In my experience, what staff perceive to be a little bit leads to pupils feeling frustrated and despondent at the ‘pointlessness’ of it … You either trust and believe in involving students in decision-making or you don’t. Project Manager 7 Our overall conclusions are that if the building blocks are there … then School Councils can make a difference and can improve a school and the lives of the people in it. Research Team, Birmingham University Teachers have nothing to fear and everything to gain from research on the effectiveness of pupil participation. Young people’s active engagement in school life is the best way of preventing alienation and disruption and enhancing achievement. General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers Steve Sinnott, To buy a full version of the report or to download a free electronic version, please contact School Councils UK, www.schoolcouncils.org. Extracts taken from The London Secondary School Councils Action Research Project 2004–2007 funded by Deutsche Bank and The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and “School Councils 6 School Improvement” produced by the Centre for International Education and Research, School of Education, University of Birmingham, September 2007.