School Council

Aberford School Council

Helping young people to become active, democratic citizens.

What is a School Council?

A school council is a formal group of pupils within a school who are elected by their peers to represent them and their views.

Why do we have a School Council?

Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) says that children and young people should have a say in decisions that affect their lives. A school council can provide a meaningful way in which pupils can voice their opinions and have their views taken into account in decisions which impact upon them.

The Role:

Attend regular meetings with other School Council members from each class
Take ideas and suggestions your class have to discuss at School Council meetings
Bring back ideas, information and suggestions to your class and encourage your class to listen, discuss, share their views and, where necessary, vote on actions that need to be taken
Help to organise charity events throughout the year
Encourage the pupils in your class to be aware of their school environment and to respect and care for it
Some of the more senior School Council members will be responsible for specific tasks
- School Council Chairperson (leads the meetings)
- School Council Secretary (writes the minutes of the meetings)
- School Council Treasurer (manages the money – with link teacher)

Qualities of a School Council Member:

As individuals, children may bring lots of additional skills and abilities to this role in particular, however, to be a successful School Council member you need to:

Be reliable
Be proud of our school and want our school to be the best it can be
Listen carefully to the views of others and take their ideas on board
Represent the majority view of your class, even if you don't agree!
Commit time to this role and accept that you may need to do things during break times and/or lunchtimes
Be enthusiastic
Be kind and respectful
Be patient