| SCHOOL COUNCIL |
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The School Council is made up of student representatives
voted in from each tutor group and advocates for those
groups who are unable to represent themselves. The School
Council take issues and suggestions from their groups
to the Council for discussion, and then make requests
and recommendations to the Chair, Bob Paul who takes
their views to the Senior Management team.
The School Council is the student's most direct route
in having a say, an influence and a personal investment
in the school. It has proved to be a very positive experience
for the pupils and the staff with everyone taking a
keen interest in how it develops.
School Council – End of year report – 2007/8
‘I think School Council gives people a voice and that’s surely a good thing.’
Oliver Padfield, School Council Rep.
A new Council of 14 members was elected in September 2007. Three experienced past members were appointed as advocates. For the first time classes were given a School Council Handbook with guidance for tutors and reps. A new student notice board and a student council email address were also introduced this year.
In the first term school council was asked by some of the new 7 students to improve the range of activities in the playground. School Council carried out a survey to ask what people wanted. ‘More clubs!’ they said. Over the year students have set up a range of lunchtime clubs including; chess, speed stacks, animation, bird watching and yugioh to add to the art, computer, science and technology clubs run by staff. Student volunteers acting as Sports Leaders have set up games activities such as skipping and football in the large playground as well as organising activities for students in the Foundation, ASD and primary playgrounds. KS4 students have repaired bikes and scooters for the ASD students and they now have a new shed to store their playground equipment in.
Requests for more seating in the large playground has led to some more benches and there are plans for more seating areas in the new playground.
School Council reps have helped gather information throughout the year. They fed back information to the management team on the use of the Merit system and have requested a new system for the Upper School.
School Council also asked students for things they would like to see in the ‘New Building’ plans with regard to the playground space. Mr Gregory came along to school council to talk about the plans for the new building. There was some disappointment over the fact that due to circumstances there would be less money available to spend on the playground area.
Steve Harris from SHOUT OUT was invited to School Council to talk about his work in supporting students at Fosse Way. At the same meeting we heard Lucy from OFF THE RECORD was no longer going to be funded – School Council felt unhappy this service was going to be lost and asked for it to continue. We were happy to see that the school managed to find funding to maintain Lucy’s work until the end of the school year.
Students at Fosse Way enjoy using the Internet and have appreciated all the work our new network Manager Ben Ford has done this year. However students have said the present school website is not very child friendly and would like to see it updated. They are particularly keen to improve the pupil area of the website. Vicky and Ben are starting work to look at improving the website. A group of students have volunteered to help them and this will start next term.
In May School Council carried out a survey to see what students thought about the work of School Council. We invited Sonia and Rachel from the Children’s Society to School Council. They talked to members about their work. We looked at the student survey results together and have come up with some ideas to improve school Council’s work. We will be working with the Children’s society over the next few years as part of the Children and Young People’s Charter to improve School Council and look at ways to make sure students’ views are listened to and acted on. Hopefully together we can make School Council even better.
Students who have been on school council have been very positive about the experience and many are keen to stand again so there should be some exciting elections in September.
Thanks to Vicky Orman who has acted as secretary. A special thanks to Amber Sims has done a brilliant job as student link member. Well done to all those students who have acted as School Council reps or deputy reps for all their hard work.
Elections for next year's school council
will take place in the week of
September 15th - 20th.
Our first meeting will be A TRAINING WORKSHOP FOR SCHOOL COUNCIL REPs.
Friday 26th September
Minutes from the meetings of the school council are
available to download here:
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