Class Council and School Council

At St. Andrew’s we are proud to have pupil representatives that take part in Class Council and School Council meetings.

These councils are in place so that pupils have a voice and are involved in decisions about the school that affect them.  Through Class Council, all pupils have the opportunity to raise issues, share ideas and take part in discussions that involve all of their classmates in reaching a democratic solution.  Wider issues that arise at Class Council are discussed further within KS1 or KS2 School Council; this ensures that as many pupil voices as possible are heard.  Pupils at St. Andrew’s know that this is their school and their thoughts and ideas matter. 

How does our Class Council and School Council work?

• Two Class Council officials are nominated and then voted in by their class mates – they are not chosen by their teachers. Elections are held at the beginning of each academic year.

• Once elected, key roles and responsibilities (the Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary) are allocated within each Class Council.

• Throughout the week every child within each class may jot down any issues, concerns, worries or ideas, etc. that they wish to discuss at the Class Council meeting.

• At the meeting the Chair will raise the first item on the agenda and invite the person who wrote it to explain their point of view. The Chair then invites the rest of the class to discuss the matter and reach some sort of resolution. The Secretary makes a note of what has been decided in the minutes. If the resolution can be reached by adjusting something in class or within teams, then it need not be taken to School Council. If the resolution is something that the class feels should be shared with School Council to allow wider discussion then a note will be made in the minutes to make this clear.

• Class Council members then take the minute book to School Council and raise any relevant issues for wider discussion and whole school resolution. School Council discusses the matter using the same structure as Class Council; the resolution at School Council may be that the Class Council officials simply remind their classes about expectations and appropriate behaviour or they may want to speak with a senior member of staff with an alternative suggestion.

Through the Class Council and School Council process, every child has the opportunity to learn to work together, to learn about democracy and how to play a positive role in their community.