School Council

St Mary’s School Council

Article 12 “Every child has the right to say what they think in all matters

affecting them, and to have their views taken seriously.”

At St Mary’s School we are a Rights’ Respecting School. We have achieved the UNICEF silver award, and we are working towards our gold award.

Who?

Our school council is made up of representatives from Year 1 through to Year 6. There are 12 members in total: a mix of genders from each class. The Year 6 representatives visit the Foundation Stage. This gives every child in the school a voice in school council.

What?

Class representatives bring matters that they have discussed in their class council to the school council meeting. We focus on school issues that relate to the Rights of the Child.

When?

We meet at lunchtime for half an hour once a week.

How?

At the beginning of the school year, each class discusses the responsibilities of the school council. Children stand for election, explaining the qualities that they have that make them suitable for the role.  

Each class elects two children as school representatives and a chairperson and secretary to run their class meetings.

The Year 6 representatives act as chairperson, secretary, and treasurer. They chair the meetings, making sure that all children have had their say and are listened to. Our school and class councils value all children’s comments and think about how we can make improvements in and around our school and community so that we can all enjoy our rights and be the best that we can be.

 

 

Eco-Club

Representatives from Years 1 - 6 meet every other week as the Eco-Committee. We learn about plants and wildlife in our school environment and world-wide eco-issues, we share news and make plans for how we can make our school more eco-friendly. Recently we have installed paper recycling bins in every classroom, planted a wildflower pollinator patch, made a bug hotel and built a wildlife pond in our garden. We also enjoy seasonal activities such as making bird feeders, using recycled materials to make Christmas decorations and planting tree seeds we have collected.

 

Digital Leaders

At St Mary's school we follow the 'Childnet digital leaders programme.' Each year, a group of pupils from Years 5 and 6 complete a training programme to become digital leaders. We then meet weekly to discuss action points for the school and plan how we can help keep everyone safe online. The digital leaders run whole school assemblies, class activities and communicate with parents. They are responsible for planning and running 'National Online Safety Day' each year as well.