When we develop our School Council and
understand its purposes we will:-
•
help everyone in our school feel responsible for
what goes on here
• build children’s confidence by giving them the
chance to speak in public
• give everyone the skills needed to work with others
• help children get on together
•Help improve the school in many different ways
What is a …
A school council is group of students
who are elected to represent the
views of all pupils and help to
improve their school.
Each year, every class will elect two
representatives to be members of the school
council, one girl and one boy.
The council will then meet to elect officers
such as:
Chair
Vice- Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
The Chairperson:• Runs meetings and leads discussions.
• Helps to prepare the agenda.
• Talks to teachers and governors about what the School
Council thinks and its ideas.
• Makes sure all the Council members are involved.
The Vice-Chairperson:• Keeps in touch with all the class representatives.
• Makes sure that everyone who agrees to do something
actually does it.
• Leads meetings if the Chairperson is away.
The Secretary:• Takes notes (minutes) at meetings.
• Helps to prepare the agenda.
• Makes sure everyone knows when the meetings are.
• Keeps all notes safely in the Minutes Book.
The Treasurer:• Looks after the School Council’s money.
• Writes reports on how much money has been
spent, what it has been spent on and how
much is left.
What sorts of things can
School Councils do?
•Organise fund raising events
•Introduce ‘Buddy’ schemes
•Improve the school environment (e.g: litter, playgrounds)
•Represent their school at events
•Help welcome new children
•Make suggestions about behaviour and reward systems, school
uniform, homework
•Help meet new members of staff or help make new appointments
•Visit other schools to find out about their Student Councils
Who makes a good representative?
It is important to think who will do the job well and
earn the respect of their class… someone who is…
RELIABLE – remembers to go to meetings
FAIR – takes everybody’s views to meetings
THOUGHTFUL – considers your feelings
A GOOD LISTENER – understands different
points of view
A GOOD SPEAKER – discusses things clearly
ACCURATE & EFFICIENT – reports back from
the Council
What makes a good…
•Regular meetings
•A council that is not too big
•Class/Form councils that meet regularly
•Good communication between representatives
and their class
•Prepare and do assemblies about their work
•Training for school council members
•Smaller groups (subcommittees) working on
specific events or issues
•A bank account or budget (even a small one)
•Annual evaluations
The Communication
Officer:• Makes sure that parents,
governors and the
community know what the
School Council is doing.
• Keeps the School Council
web page up to date.
• Uploads the Minutes and
Agenda onto the web site.
Meet every week
Report to children
Train school council
members
Report back in
assemblies
Report to
Teachers
Record what
happens in meetings
– write minutes
Have a notice
board
Put information on
the school website
Report to governors
Would YOU like to be considered for a
position on the School Council?
This is called ‘Standing’
for election.
If you want to
‘stand’ for election
you will need to talk
to your class to tell
them your reasons
and persuade them
to vote for you!
I would make a
good School
Council
representative
because…
Vote for the person who you think will make
the best School Council representative.
At the first meeting:At the first meeting:• Vote in the Chair, Vice- Chair, Secretary, Treasurer
and Communications Officer.
• Give out notebooks to the representatives.
• Make a list of the things you would like to discuss.
• Create a ‘short-list’ which will become the ‘Agenda’ for
the next meeting.
• Agree who will do what jobs and how the School
Council’s ideas will be explained to the school.
• Set a date for the next meeting.
Meeting Checklist
Take a register of the representatives present
Follow the Agenda
Write a record of what is agreed (Minutes) in the Minutes Book
Agree who will do what jobs, and by when and make a record
Meet with the Head Teacher to agree actions and discuss ways forward
Put the Minutes and Agenda on the Notice Board
Representatives to explain to their classes what has been agreed
Communications Officer to update web site