Pupil Voice & Student Council
Pupil Voice
The term ‘pupil voice’ refers to ways of listening to the views of pupils and students and involving them in decision-making.
The Russett School is committed to the promotion and protection of children’s rights, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We believe that children and young people should have opportunities to express their opinion in matters that affect their lives and wellbeing.
Some of the benefits of involving our pupils in decision making are:
- It encourages pupils to become active participants in a democratic society, which develops skills such as co-operation and communication. It also encourages them to consider others and develop responsibility.
- It contributes to achievement and attainment. When pupil voice is taken into account and is included within the decision making process, pupils benefit from increased confidence, self- respect, increased opportunities to communicate and an improved sense of responsibility. Often pupils also show an increased motivation and engagement in learning where their opinions have been considered.
We have lots of ways for all of our pupils to share their thoughts and opinions with us including through our student council and regular pupil questionnaires. Most importantly we endeavour to create an ethos and atmosphere where our pupils feel able to share their thoughts, in an informal way in class and to senior leaders.