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School council and student voice Linkedin Group

LinkedIn logoIf you’re on Linked in (or is it Linkedin?), and you’re interested in school councils and student voice, then we’ve just set up a new group to connect people.

If you’re on there, and want to join, then visit http://lnkd.in/mpSBk8, or search for Student Voice and School Councils Education Network.

Thanks!

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involver blog Newsletters

involver newsletter 2: School council ideas, problems and solutions

If you want to our newsletter in your inbox each month, put your email address in the ‘get our newsletter box’ in the top right of this page.


Hello from involver – newsletter number 2

Hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the sun and World Cup. We’ve created some new resources and found a few things that you and your schools might find useful, so here they are …

Resource: Pupil interview panels – getting it right
After a lot of misconceptions in the press about what this involves, we’ve written a brief guide to getting the most out of interview panels that involve students.
http://involver.org.uk/2010/04/pupil-interview-panels-getting-it-right/

Resource: More student voice ideas, issues and some solutions
Some really great ideas and suggestions came up from training we’ve run recently for ASCL, in London, and Wolverhampton Local Authority in, well, Wolverhampton. You or schools you work with may find them useful and we’d find it really useful if you add any suggestions of your own.
http://involver.org.uk/2010/06/school-council-ideas-and-student-voice-issues/

http://involver.org.uk/2010/06/common-school-council-issues-with-solutions/

Resource: Excellent World Cup learning activities
You know we couldn’t get through this newsletter without one World Cup resource, and this one from LSIS is great (if you don’t work in post-16 we’re sure you resourceful involvers could adapt it).
http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/media/Post16%20Citizenship%20Support%20Programme/Football_supplement_FINAL.pdf

Website: Got a school council website? Add it to our showcase
We’re building up a list of great school council websites – if you have would like to be featured here, please email us at info@involver.org.uk
Tiffany Ryan of Changemakers has been helping us out with this – thanks Tiffany!
http://involver.org.uk/links/school-councils-websites/

Also, if you think our site is useful and want to help others find it, please link to us on your blog or website.

Event: Speaker’s School Council Awards
After 2,500 schools registering interest, hundreds of schools have applied to the Speaker’s School Council Awards. We helped Parliament and the excellent team of judges to whittle the entries down to twenty. Each of these fantastic school council projects will attend an exciting awards ceremony in Parliament on June 23rd. John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, will award a winner in each age category, so thanks to everyone for applying! You can see schools that have been shortlisted at:
http://www.parliament.uk/education/special-events-and-programmes/speakers-school-council/

Event: AGON – Ancient Greek-style political drama debate
On the 6th of July secondary students from Enfield will be running this innovative event which encourages discussion on issues about media and celebrity through any medium, including drama, dance, music and film. Anyone and everyone is invited to be part of the audience and take part. It’s at the Scoop Amphitheatre next to the GLA buildings by Tower Bridge, London, fittingly.
Email mark.barrett@kingsmead.org for more details.

Video: Kids taking charge – India-style
Ever visit the TED website? It’s one of our favourites. Here’s a link to an inspiring eight minute talk on the ‘I can bug’ developed by Kiran Bir Sethi of Riverside School, Ahmedebad, India.
http://www.ted.com/talks/kiran_bir_sethi_teaches_kids_to_take_charge.html

Research: PSHE in schools and empowering students
Researchers from Brighton University need your help to collect responses from students on how they get to have a say in what topics should be included in PSHE. They are also seeking their views on the curriculum delivered in schools currently. Please give this link to your students and colleagues:
https://eforms.crawley.gov.uk/af3/an/default.aspx/RenderForm/?F.Name=AVhVYHSESfL

Networking-fun: Democraball!
Democraball! runs every month and new players and supporters are always welcome. It’s now got a Facebook group so if you’re in London, and fancy a (very amateur) game of five a side football, then join the group or get in touch at info@involver.org.uk.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=127543770612104

Remember, if you want to get in touch about anything we’re up to, then please email us at info@involver.org.uk. We’re also always keen to hear about and share good practice, new resources or developments in student voice.

Thanks!

Greg and Asher @ involver
If you want to our newsletter in your inbox each month, put your email address in the ‘get our newsletter box’ in the top right of this page.

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involver blog News

Official response to NASUWT’s threat of industrial action

Easter weekend was a very interesting time on the student voice front. At its Annual Conference, NASUWT said they were considering striking because student voice is being taken too far.

Here’s our statement on the subject:

‘Successful organisations always consider ‘culture fit’ when making any appointment. With schools, it is natural to do this is by involving young people in teacher appointments, with the appropriate support.

The attack on student voice we’ve seen by NASUWT and sections of the press is un-measured and misconceived. Education cannot return to the days of simple knowledge transfer between teacher and student. This traditional approach to learning will not equip young people to face the modern world.

Student voice, when approached in a considered and clear way, is the best way to help young people to be active, questioning and informed citizens. This is exactly what Britain needs in 2010’

Here are six misconceptions that the NASUWT, and the press, are making about student voice:

Misconception The truth
Poor examples of student voice mean that the whole idea of student voice is a bad one Just because student voice has had negative, and isolated, consequences in some schools, it doesn’t mean that the whole concept isn’t a good idea.
Poor practice in student voice is widespread Thousands of schools across the country benefit from involving young people in important school decisions
Young people are to blame for bad examples of student voice They aren’t, the process needs to be managed better by teachers (in a clear and considered way)
Young people on interview panels select who gets the job Young people are having a say on who gets the job, from their perspective in the school.
Student voice is Government – imposed Student voice has not been imposed externally, but grown organically.
Better student voice equals worse teacher voice Schools that have effective student voice also have empowered, effective and vocal teachers

And here’s those misconceptions explained:

1. Poor examples of student voice mean that the whole idea of student voice is a bad one

‘the way many schools use student voice is “demeaning, embarrassing and humiliating” to teachers’

Chris Keates, General Secretary, NASUWT

NASUWT are right to be concerned about inappropriate practice with student voice. We’re concerned too, just like we’re concerned about anything that is inappropriate.

But those schools that have developed poor practice should be encouraged to approach student voice in a more considered and planned way, rather than not do it at all.

Just because student voice has had negative consequences in some schools, it doesn’t mean that the whole idea is a bad one.

2. Poor practice in student voice is widespread

NASUWT – the largest UK-wide teachers’ union – could only find around 200 examples of poor practice with student voice.

We’re in touch with thousands of schools across the country who benefit from involving young people in important school decisions. This is happening day in day out, and young people, schools and teachers are reaping the benefits. Better behaviour, more engagement with learning, improved school environment, the list goes on…

Interestingly, a number of involvers’ teacher friends even sent positive case studies to NASUWT when they contacted their members looking for bad examples. They received a stock reply saying ‘thank you for your case of the abuse of student voice’. We’d like to ask NASUWT – how many teachers replied citing positive examples of student voice? And what happened to them?

Even some of the so-called ‘poor’ case studies are really clutching at straws. Take a look at this example in the Daily Mail yesterday:

From http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1263769/Now-teachers-ordered-smile-pupils.html

The aggrieved candidate for this job pointed out that the interview was conducted ‘very formally’. She also mentions two very reasonable questions that were asked by the young panel – one about her subject, and one about disruption.

This is hardly an example of poor practice, if the young panel were interested in that subject being taught well, and without any interruptions from badly behaved members of the class. How can we object to that? And did the candidate feel aggrieved because she didn’t get the job?

3. Young people are to blame for bad examples of student voice

Young people are not evil!

If they say something inappropriate in a lesson observation, that’s because that lesson observation hasn’t been planned properly. If they ask something inappropriate in a teacher interview, that’s because nobody has gone through the questions with them beforehand.

If they give inappropriate feedback in an interview, that’s because they’ve not been trained on how to construct feedback in a diplomatic way. Just like for adults.

Hardly rocket science!

4. That young people on interview panels select who gets the job

Young people are not the ones deciding who gets the job. They are having a say on it, and offering an opinion from a different perspective. The school staff and Governors of the school still have the final say, are still legally responsible, and are influenced by young people’s views  to an extent that they choose.

The decision making process needs to be made clear to the candidate (which has given rise to some of the problems we’ve seen highlighted in the press).

Student voice, when used in this way, takes advantage of the educational opportunity that being on an interview panel presents. It links well with work-related learning, and careers advice – why not use that opportunity?

5. Student voice is Government – imposed

‘a Government scheme called Student voice’
Melanie Phillips, Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1263612/MELANIE-PHILLIPS-How-richly-ironic-teachers-ludicrous-obsession-pupil-power-putting-work.html

Student voice has not been forced on schools by this, or any, Government.

Student voice has come from schools because they know it’s a good idea. It has taken root in schools because many teachers realise the need to prepare their students for adult life in more sophisticated ways. It has not been imposed externally, but grown organically.

Schools that see the benefits of involving young people in their education every single day, with the appropriate support. It’s also supported with a range of academic research – here’s a few links:

Geoff Whitty’s research: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR001.pdf

Carnegie YP research: http://cypi.carnegieuktrust.org.uk/cypi/publications

GTCE research: http://www.gtce.org.uk/documents/publicationpdfs/pupil_part_anthology1109.pdf

The Labour government has supported to schools, as part of the Children’s Plan, with this – but encourages them to do so in a way that works for them.

It’s also far more than just teacher appointments, and lesson observations – but young people being involved in most aspects of the work of the school!

6. Better student voice equals worse teacher voice

‘Student Voice scheme is not being abused. It is itself an abuse of education by drastically confusing the respective roles of teacher and pupil. This grotesque approach has not descended out of a clear blue sky. More profoundly and devastatingly, for several decades the entire education establishment has gone along with the benighted belief that pupils should usurp the authority of teachers in the classroom itself’ Melanie Phillips, Daily Mail

Wow. Go Melanie.

Both teachers and young people want to go to/work in a stimulating and effective institution. Student voice helps those two groups to work together to do just that.

Schools that have effective student voice also have empowered, effective and vocal teachers. The two are not mutually exclusive. Student voice is not about ‘pupil power’, but about a school’s ethos and culture, and young people benefit when they are part of it.

________

We’ll be writing to the NASUWT to suggest a more measured approach this week.

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Citizenship SchoolCouncilsUK-archive

The reaction to the YCC's report will demonstrate the real political will to engage young people

The most telling question/statement at the launch of the Youth Citizenship Commission‘s final report came from a delegate representing the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), he suggested something along the lines of, “Wouldn’t it be ironic if the Government’s response to this report is to do nothing? What would that tell young people about the limits of their influence and citizenship?” All Government commissions run the risk of being ignored by Government, but the questioner was right, it would be particularly pointed if the recommendations of this report were not taken up. The findings of the Commission were that (like other groups in society) there is a disillusion with politics because young people do not feel they are listened to. Arguably what is worse than not being listened to at all, is being told you’ve got the chance to have your say and have an influence and then to have that views dismissed anyway. (I see this all the time in schools with school councils where there are boundaries to what they can do, but these are never discussed or communicated with the pupils, they are just told ‘No’ when that issue arises).

So, whilst I think the Commission has done a great job and made many important recomendations (not least about the need for standards for school and class councils), ultimately whether this has any real benefit will come down to the Government’s actions: inaction will be failure.

Asher

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Citizenship SchoolCouncilsUK-archive

School Councils UK is mentioned in the Youth Citizenship Commission

Asher and I  went to the launch of the Youth Citizenship Commission’s Report in Westminster today. It was great to hear people talk about the value of school councils alongside class councils.  The commissioners really understood the value of pupil voice and effective  school councils, it was clearly expressed that pupil voice has to be respected and the young people involved need to be given real power in the school decision-making processes, otherwise the work can be disillusioning do more damage than good.

There was also a big mention for the School Council Standard, which is a project we are working on getting funding for at the moment – so a good morning for School Councils.  It’ll be interesting to see what the Government does the Comission’s findings.

Vicky

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SchoolCouncilsUK-archive

MP Observes School Elections

www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/4165789.MP_observes_school_elections/

I thought this was a nice little story and it’s interesting that the elected pupils only serve for 6 months so make sure that more people get a chance to be involved.

Daisy