Tag: KS1 (P1-P2)

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Is your school council counter-cultural?

The revolutionary school council? (They're supposed to be wearing berets :-))
The revolutionary school council? (They're supposed to be wearing berets :-))

Culture is a great thing, it gives us a sense of identity, place and often purpose too, but it doesn’t do much for progress. In many ways culture is the embedding of a certain way of doing things through unquestioning repetition.

All major changes in industry, science, religion, society and thought have come from people or ideas that went against the prevailing culture. For the purposes of this blog, I’m going to call this counter-culture; it sets out with one maxim:

  • We do not accept a view simply because it is stated by someone in a position of authority; it has to be proved to be of value to us.

Counter-culture is absolutely necessary for any society (or institution) that wants to learn and improve. Having assumptions challenged means the good ideas grow stronger and the poor ones are done away with. It recognises the need for constant re-evaluation (which is very different from constant change).

It seems to me that this is what should be at the heart of all education: working out from first principles what is valid, not basing our ideas on assumptions. So to what extent are our educational institutions counter-cultural? How do they inculcate this approach? I would argue that in most cases they don’t, they in fact do exactly the opposite.

In almost every school in the country there is a school/pupil/student council (or it may go by some other name on a similar theme). The aim of each of these is ‘to improve the school’, but how many really have the tools to do it? Most are given a narrow set of responsibilities and very limited scope in which to carry them out.  Will this ever excite, represent or challenge most of the students or staff? If not, why are we doing them in school?

A number of questions I have been asked or that I have had to ask myself over the last couple of weeks have really brought this into focus for me:

  • From secondary school pupils:
    • Should staff set the agenda for our school council meetings?
    • Should we (the school council) be allowed to talk about and make statements on whatever is important to pupils?
    • Should staff play a role in selecting school council members?
  • From other researchers/practitioners in the field:
    • Are school councils merely there to deal with issues as they arise or should they create policy to pre-empt issues?
    • Does the headteacher lead the pupils in a school or does s/he just manage the staff?
    • Is it better to have a ‘learning council’ than a ‘pupil council’? (The suggesting being it puts learning at the heart of what it does, but I ask, ‘why demote pupils from being at the heart of what it does?’)
  • From discussions with an ex-school student leader from Greece:
    • What can a school council do if it’s not listened to? (In Greece they go on strike or occupy the school)

When staff allow students space to challenge they are forced into a real debate and both ‘sides’ have to question their own assumptions. Where schools just get students to help them with the things staff want to do there will be positive change, but it will be limited, never revolutionary.

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The Fun Theory

I just came across this video (thanks to@hellostanley for pointing it out):

And it seems to me that this is exactly what school councils should be about: making things fun, but in a way that improves other things too.

There are two more excellent, funny videos on thefuntheory.com website as well as a competition.  If you can come up with an idea for how you could change people’s behaviour in a fun way, you could get a €2,500 (£2,250) grant to make it happen!

So watch the videos, get some ideas and get your entry in quick, it closes on the 14th November.

Let us know what you’re doing to make things fun.

I know this might be seen as me giving free advertising for VW, but when it’s a good idea, it’s a good idea! That’s the beauty of making things fun. You can’t argue with it, you just want to spread it around. Your school council needs to make use of this!

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Being a Good Class Rep (Representative)

The most important job on any council is being a representative. Most people forget after they’ve been elected what they were elected to do: be a link between the people who elected them and the council they sit on.

Created by Lois Canessa and Asher Jacobsberg at School Councils UK.

Print or download (‘save’) this resource using the ‘More’ button.
Being a Good Class Representative

So you want to be a … Representative (Rep) School Councils UK Role Guide 01 What is a rep? Reps are elected by their class, form or tutor group (we’ll just call these all ‘classes’ from now on, to make it easier) to represent those people who elected them. They act as a link between their class and other groups – year councils, school councils and other committees. Reps have to be willing and able to put forward other people’s views even if they disagree with them. What kind of person makes a good rep? • • • • • • • Approachable Good listener – everyone in the class has to feel comfortable talking to you Organised – it will be your responsibility to make sure meetings happen in your class on a regular basis Assertive – the opinions of your class are just as important as everyone else’s Efficient – class discussions must cover a lot of issues in a short space of time Fair – everyone has the right to express a point of view Good communicator – you need to be able to work with staff and students from across the school So if I were a rep what would I actually have to do? As a rep you have three main jobs: • Collecting the views of your class and passing them on to other committees. Letting your class know what goes on in the meetings you attend. Taking an active part in meetings. then your job to talk to the chair of the other committee and get your class’s concerns on the agenda. You will then need to put forward your class’s views at year council or whole school council meetings. You are the link between the school/year council and your class so you need to let your class know what happened in the other meeting, any decisions that were made or questions that need to be asked. It’s particularly important to make sure you know what is happening to suggestions made by your class: it’s your job to let them know that their ideas are being taken seriously. You need to be prepared to go to meetings and make yourself heard, but also be willing to listen and discuss. Remember, you are there to represent all the different points of view that people in your class may have, so you need to spend time listening to your class and be flexible enough to put across a range of opinions. • • To do these jobs well you should have regular meetings with your class where you will listen to people’s concerns and issues and note them down. Remember that not everyone likes talking in meetings, so make sure you are approachable in other ways. Make it clear that people can talk to you at break times; have a suggestions box or suggestions email account. With your class you should decide which of these issues can be dealt with by the class itself, and which need to go to another committee (the year council or school council). It’s School Councils UK 108-110 Camden High Street, London NW1 0LU 0845 456 9428 info@schoolcouncils.org www.schoolcouncils.org © School Councils UK 2006. Written by Lois Canessa and Asher Jacobsberg. Please feel free to reproduce this resource with acknowledgement (non-commercial use only). So you want to be a … Representative (Rep) School Councils UK Role Guide 01 That’s quite a job, what help can I get? Yep, being a class rep is the most important job on the school council, but don’t worry you’re not alone! Most schools elect two reps from each class who can help each other. Some schools have class reps and deputy class reps who can help out generally but don’t go to meetings unless the main rep is away. Also, How often would I be doing things? Well, each school is different but this is what we recommend: make sure you use your class teacher, without his or her help you’ll find it difficult to organise meetings with your class. Also, don’t feel that you have to run the class council meetings. Get other people in the class to take it in turns. It’s easier for you to take notes if you’re not chairing too. When? All the time All the time What? Listen to your class-mates Make sure there is a running agenda that class mates can add too Run a class council meeting (following the class agenda) Make sure a record ( called ‘the minutes’) is kept of what is discussed and decided Work out which things you can do as a class and create an action plan Take your class minutes to the year council and represent your class and their views Report back to your class which suggestions have been actioned and what decisions were made Stand for election With whom? The other rep in your class Any one in the form/tutor group/class should be able to add to it The rest of your form/tutor group/class Your whole class, you may ask other class members to act as secretary and chair Your whole class Once a week Once a week Once a week Once a month/ fortnightly With the year councillors and a member of staff Once a month/ fortnightly With your class tutor and your form/tutor group/class Once a year Your form/tutor group/class School Councils UK 108-110 Camden High Street, London NW1 0LU 0845 456 9428 info@schoolcouncils.org www.schoolcouncils.org Can I get any more information on being a rep? There isn’t a huge amount of information around about being a school council rep, but there are reps for all sorts of other organisations (your MP is a rep!) so there is information on how to do those similar jobs. Go to www.schoolcouncils.org, click ‘resources’ and go to ‘download resources’, there you’ll find a list of links to other websites with information about what it means to be a representative. In the resources section you will also see our Handbooks for primary and secondary students which give you loads more ideas about how to get things done through your school and class councils. © School Councils UK 2006. Written by Lois Canessa and Asher Jacobsberg. Please feel free to reproduce this resource with acknowledgement (non-commercial use only).
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School Councils and Enterprise Education

A brief case study of how one school integrated their class councils with enterprise education.

A quick crib sheet for anyone looking to cross-over budgets between enterprise and pupil voice.

Created by School Councils UK.

Use the ‘More’ button to print or download (‘save’) this resource.
School Councils and Enterprise Education

School Councils and Enterprise Education School Councils UK Briefing Last Summer Term the school council of Hythe Bay Primary School offered each class a £20 loan. To get it they needed to write a business plan, present it to the school council and then fulfil it if it was approved. Every single class made a profit, returned the original investment back to the school council and then spent their profit on their classroom. They created this project as part of their response to Every Child Matters, but it also ticks all the boxes for Enterprise Education, and what’s more enterprising than killing two birds with one stone! Learning Outcomes for Enterprise Education from www.teachernet.gov.uk Enterprise Knowledge and Understanding Enterprise capability Financial capability Organisation, Innovation, Risk, Team Work, Managing Change and Personal Effectiveness Money, Credit, Investment, Costing Projects, Personal Finance and Insurance Economic and Market, Competition, Price, Efficiency, Economic Growth, Organisation of Business, business understanding and World of Work Enterprise Skills Enterprise capability Financial capability Decision-Making, Thinking and Learning Skills, Design and Make Skills, Leadership, Managing Risk, Selling, Team Working and Key Skills Budgeting, Financial Planning and Personal Risk Management Economic and Decision-Making, Judgements and Investigate business Simple Hypotheses understanding Enterprise Attributes Enterprise capability Financial capability Self-Reliance, ‘Can Do’ Approach, Responsibility, Ambition, Open-Mindedness, Respect for Evidence, Pragmatism and Commitment Take responsibility for the impact of financial decisions School Councils UK 108-110 Camden High Street, London NW1 0LU 0845 456 9428 info@schoolcouncils.org www.schoolcouncils.org Economic and Take an interest in economics, resources, role business of business and its responsibilities understanding © School Councils UK 2007. Please feel free to reproduce this resource with acknowledgement (non-commercial use only).
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Every Child Matters and School Councils Summary

A brief summary of how an effective school council can help you meet each of the Every Child Matters outcomes.

Great for when you’re writing your SEF or creating your School Development Plan.

Created by School Councils UK.

Use the ‘More’ button to print or download (‘save’) this resource.
Every Chlid Matters and School Councils Summary

School Councils and Every Child Matters School Councils UK Briefing We believe that if every child can have their voice heard, understood and responded to, they will become active participants in their communities. School Councils UK has welcomed the Every Child Matters priorities, and has seen first hand how school councils’ work within the categories improves children’s lives. A more detailed version of this table is available on www.schoolcouncils.org EVERY CHILD MATTERS AND SCHOOL COUNCILS OUTCOMES Being Healthy Developing confidence, communication skills, and being happier as a result of being involved with school and class councils helps children develop emotional resilience. Students also help make their peers healthier by improving food in the dining room and promoting sports activities and competitions. Staying Safe Effective school councils engender peer leadership, openness and awareness. These qualities make schools safer and happier places. Ex-Schools minister Stephen Twigg stated that the most effective anti-bullying schemes were led by students. Enjoying and Achieving By taking the opportunity to become involved in the school community, essential life skills such as listening, diplomacy, compromise and communication are developed. Effective participation structures in school help raise attainment by improving the learning environment. Through school councils, children’s belief in their ability Making a to make a difference develops. Positive Contribution Life skills learnt through active participation enable students to contribute to their community and wider society. Economic Well Being Many school councils are given budgets to manage. The responsibility of running a budget helps children develop economic and financial awareness. School Councils UK 108-110 Camden High Street, London NW1 0LU 0845 456 9428 info@schoolcouncils.org www.schoolcouncils.org © School Councils UK 2006. Please feel free to reproduce this resource with acknowledgement (non-commercial use only).
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Being a Good Chairperson

It’s a tough job being a chairperson.

This guide will help you to understand what it needs and help you to be a great one.

Created by Eva Crasnow and Asher Jacobsberg at School Councils UK.

Use the ‘More’ button to print or download (‘save’) this resource.

Being a Good Chairperson

So you want to be a … Chairperson (chair) School Councils UK Role Guide 02 What is a chairperson? The chair has two main roles (neither of which is being sat on): To make sure the meeting runs effectively, and within the groundrules of the meeting. This involves preparation beforehand as well as being in charge during the meeting. The chair also represents the school council at formal occasions. For instance, it might be the chair’s job to meet with the headteacher and the governors. What kind of person makes a good chair? • • • • • A spokesperson – the chair will need to be able to sum up other people’s views and be happy to put them across to all kinds of people, including large groups. An organiser – to make sure everyone is prepared for meetings: knows when and where they are going to be and what is going to be discussed. A communicator – to make sure that everyone understands what is going on. An action person – the chair needs to make sure that meetings aren’t just talking shops, that they have a purpose and result in action. A mediator – sometimes the chair will need to help find a compromise between two people or two conflicting ideas. He or she will need to be fair and not let his or her own feelings get in the way. So if I were chair what would I actually have to do? Well, the first thing you would have to do is to get selected as chair. Different councils do this in different ways, but the two most common are: that have come from their class or year councils. Make sure you give people enough time to collect ideas and bring them to you. The agenda needs to go out well before the meeting so reps can discuss it with their class. In the meeting it’s your job to run the discussion – this does NOT mean that you do all the talking. Chairing a meeting means making sure that: Everyone knows what the rules and point of the meeting are; Everyone keeps to time so that everyone has a chance to speak; Every discussion ends in clear action points. But the role of the chair isn’t just about meetings. It’s also your job to make sure that everyone who agrees to do something actually does it. You are the representative of the whole school council, so you will have to talk to staff and governors about what the school council thinks and is doing. • All the people at the meeting vote for who they would like to be the chair for the next year. The chair rotates, this means that different people take it in turn to be the chair. • The second option means that more people get to have a go at being the chair, but can mean that some meetings don’t run as well as others. Once you’re selected as chair you have several things you need to do for every meeting. The first is to help prepare the agenda (the list of things you will discuss at the meeting), you should do this with the secretary and the vice-chair, you may find it useful to get advice from the link teacher. The items on the agenda should come from the whole school, so you will need to remind the school councillors to give you the ideas School Councils UK 108-110 Camden High Street, London NW1 0LU 0845 456 9428 info@schoolcouncils.org www.schoolcouncils.org © School Councils UK 2006. Written by Eva Crasnow and Asher Jacobsberg. Please feel free to reproduce this resource with acknowledgement (non-commercial use only). So you want to be a … Chairperson (chair) School Councils UK Role Guide 02 That’s quite a job, what can I do to make it easier? Most councils have a vice-chair as well to help the chair and take over when she or he isn’t there. In a meeting you might ask the vice-chair to keep time whilst you run the meeting. You could also ask him or her to watch how you chair and give you feedback after the meeting to help you improve. You could take chairing in turns to give yourself a break. Another way to make things easier on yourself is to get your council working well together, then they won’t need much chairing. If your council is getting bored or angry, could you stop and play a quick game? These give people an opportunity to have a break and come back to the problem with a different perspective. Also, think about how the room is laid out. Does everyone feel comfortable? Can everyone see each other? Is their anything that could be distracting people? Running meetings is a skill lots of people use at work all the time. Are there people you could observe or chat to for tips? Your headteacher, chair of governors, or local business people for instance? When would I need to do all these things? Well, each school is different but this is what we recommend: When? Once a year What? Stand for election. Probably once as a class rep and then in the meeting to be chair. Represent the council and your school at events. Send out a reminder for any agenda items (it may take them a week to get to you) and last meeting’s minutes. Work out the agenda and send it out to everyone who is coming to the meeting. With whom? Your class/form/tutor group and council. It depends on the event. The secretary. Send to all school councillors. The secretary, vicechair and link teacher. Everyone, especially the secretary and vice-chair. Other councillors. Throughout the year. Two weeks before each meeting. A week before each meeting. At the meeting Make sure the meeting runs smoothly and that the secretary is keeping minutes showing who, when and what is to be done. Make sure that every one who has agreed to do something actually does it. Make sure that the headteacher, other staff and the governors are kept informed of what the school council has been discussing. In between meetings After each meeting School Councils UK 108-110 Camden High Street, London NW1 0LU 0845 456 9428 info@schoolcouncils.org www.schoolcouncils.org The link teacher, other councillors. Can I get any more information on being a chairperson? Go to www.schoolcouncils.org, click ‘resources’ and go to ‘download resources’, there you’ll find a list of links to other info about being a chair. In the resources section you will also see our Handbooks for primary and secondary students which give you loads more ideas about how to run effective meetings and make sure your school council gets things done. © School Councils UK 2006. Written by Eva Crasnow and Asher Jacobsberg. Please feel free to reproduce this resource with acknowledgement (non-commercial use only).