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Students from across the academy have been selected to join our new student council, which meets every other Wednesday to discuss issues that are important to students.

Topics raised by the council so far range from campaigning to improve how students leave the toilets to introducing more rewards for students who study really hard and behave well. The council has also asked that student planners have hard covers in future, to make them more durable.

Pictured here are six of the ten-strong student council: (from left to right) Faith, Frankie, Kadijatu, Zaheera, Adriana, and Keira.

Responsibility

Minutes of all meetings are sent to the Assistant Principal so the issues can be discussed with the academy’s senior leadership team, who then report back to the council on what action is being taken. “It’s a responsibility to have this role and be on the council,” says Zaheera from Year 8. “We want to make changes for the better for all students.”

Getting the views of students is essential, says teacher Virginie Clarke, who records the minutes and supports the council. “Rewards are a uniquely student experience, for example” she says. “Teachers can’t say what feels rewarding for students so we really need students to tell us.”

Trained

As well as expressing their own views, council members talk to their peers about what changes they would like to see. They are also being trained to interview students to get their views, and edit their recordings to make a podcast. “It’s nice to have our own say,” says Kadijatu from Year 7. “If any student in the school has an opinion about anything they can come to us.”