- Is there such a thing as 'pupil power?'
- Are you unhappy about some aspects of your school?
- Do you think the school menu could be improved?
- Could something be done about that smell in the toilets?
- Does the design of the school uniform leave a lot to be desired?
Would you like to get involved in talking about and making decisions about things like this? If so, you can represent other pupils in your school by getting your views across in a pupil council.
What are pupil councils?
Pupil councils are forums that give you the chance to say what you think. You may not be used to being asked about how your school is run – and being on the pupil council might feel strange at first especially if you're not used to speaking in front of a group of people! However, more and more pupils are getting involved in this way in the running of their schools.
The pupil council must have:
- a constitution, which is a list of rules explaining how the pupil council works
- a chairperson, who leads the meetings by following the agenda, which is a list of items to be discussed
- a secretary, who takes notes of what is said at the meeting – these notes are the minutes of the meeting
- a link teacher, to give guidance and support.
So you're on the pupil council – what next?
Once you have been chosen to be on the pupil council, it is up to you to communicate the views of other pupils. But where do you start? Here are some guidelines.
- Listen to everyone's views, whether you agree with them or not.
- Know what you're going to say – make notes before you go into meetings.
- Be confident – get the pupils' points across.
- Speak up and speak clearly.
- Report back to your year group or class about what happened.
Being involved in pupil councils helps you and your school in many ways.
- Pupil councils give pupils the chance to make their school a better place for everyone.
- Pupil representatives can learn new skills and feel good about themselves.
- The experience will show pupils how they can contribute to society as a whole and what it means to be a good citizen.
Useful web links
- School Councils UK
The School Councils UK website is for pupil councils in schools and has lots of information on how they can be established, the benefits and their contribution to citizenship. - Baldragon Academy Case Study
This case study published by the Scottish Schools Ethos Network explains how Baldragon Academy in Dundee went about establishing a school council. - School councils: why bother?
This web page from Citizenship Pieces asks why you should have a school council and looks at issues it can tackle in the school.
