Our School Council is made up of two pupils from each class who are democratically elected to represent the views of all pupils and they work together to make Lakenheath Community Primary School an even better school. School Council members meet to discuss many different aspects of school life and have a big say in how our school is run.
Why do we have a School Council?
The School Council is an ideal opportunity for pupils to get more involved in the way the school is run. The School Council benefits the whole school, pupils and teachers, because it provides opportunities for pupils to communicate their feelings as well as influence decisions that are made. Councillors develop skills such as confidence, communication and negotiation. It is the responsibility of each Councillor to ensure that they express both their own views and all the other pupils they represent.
How do I get elected if I want to become part of the School Council?
Elections for the School Council are held every year in the autumn term.
At School Council election time, all children in school are invited to stand if they are interested. You will need to prepare a short speech to persuade class members to vote for you! You might like to prepare a campaign poster or write some notes to help you. Share with your class all the reasons why you would make a great Class Councillor – perhaps you are full of good ideas, a good listener, maybe you are good at organising events and enthusiastic about making Lakenheath Community Primary School even better.
After you have shared your ideas with your class, everyone in your class will be asked to vote. The elections for School Council are a good example of democracy; this means everyone in your class has the chance to be involved in deciding who will be the Class Councillors, as everyone has a vote. Our elections run just like the General Election that decides who is in government for the country.
Who is the lead teacher for the School Council?
Miss Gaught leads on this aspect of school life. She attends all the meetings and oversees the work of the School Council. She loves working with the School Council!
When do the School Council meet?
The School Council meets regularly through the school year. At the moment it is after school on the first Monday of each month. The School Council display board inside the hall and this website page give you information about what the School Council has been working on.
I am not a member of the School Council. How are my views and ideas listened to?
If you have a great idea or something you want the School Council to discuss, please use the suggestions wallet on the School Council display board or speak to your Class Councillor. Your Class Councillors are the link between the class and the School Council. When the School Council is taking forward an action e.g. changing how lunchtimes run or planning for a charity event, they will come back to your class for your ideas and they will then share these at the School Council meeting so that everyone’s views are considered.
How can I find out more about the work of School Councils?
You can visit the CBBC Newsround website to find out more about being in a School Council. Click on the link below.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/guides/uk/school_councils/newsid_3043000/3043237.stm
What have we achieved so far this school year?
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October’s meeting |
Decided to support the Children In Need charity; made a list of fundraising ideas including a sponsored run. |
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November’s meeting |
Made final decisions about the price of squash and who would run this fundraising stall. Made posters to promote. |
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December’s meeting |
Celebrated our Children In Need fundraising! Made a list of what works well in our school and what would be even better if. |
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January’s meeting |
Introduce the idea of the OPAL project to improve lunchtime play. Shared initial opinions and ideas. Thought about what makes a great Headteacher. |
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February’s meeting |
Decided we would support the Comic Relief charity. Thought of ways we could fundraise; decided to run a tuck shop and hold a sporting event. |
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March’s meeting |
Made final decisions about who would sell Comic Relief merchandise, and who would run the tuck shop stalls. |
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April’s meeting |
Decided on what to ask the Headteacher candidates during their interview process. |
Things to celebrate!
Our ideas, organisation and efforts helped to raise a staggering £2,800.60p for Children In Need in November 2021. We organised a sponsored run or walk around the village Pavilion field. The whole school walked through the village together and then spent 21 minutes moving around a track. The atmosphere was amazing as everyone pulled together to support one another around the track. The music was pumping; the safety marshals were encouraging and even the teachers joined in! We also ran a squash stall during our break time. The whole school voted for the most popular flavour of juice and we poured them out and counted the takings afterwards. We are so proud of this achievement and we even ended up in the local newspaper.
We decided to run a morning break tuck shop and sell Comic Relief merchandise to support this charity in March 2022. It was a sell out and we managed to raise £424.75. We also voted for a range of sporting tasks to take part in on the school field to celebrate and mark this day, but not to raise money – just for fun!