School Council

Every September, children are elected to School Council by their peers through an election process, which mirrors the procedure of forming a new government in real life.

Our election process

1. Class teachers announce that there will be a class vote for one boy and one girl nominee. Teachers talk to their class about the roles and responsibilities of the School Council, and remind children of the values and attitudes needed to represent the school.
2. Pupils who wish to be nominated explain to their peers the reasons why they feel they would be a good candidate. The class then complete an anonymous vote.
3. The boy and girl chosen from each class will now begin an election campaign. They will think carefully about what they have to offer and what positive attributes they bring to the position. All nominees will produce an election video, which will be shown to the whole school in assembly time.
4. A notice of election will be displayed in school.
5. On Election day, a polling station will be created in the hall. Each class will visit the polling station at their allocated time, and pupils will correctly mark their ballot paper in the privacy of a polling booth, before placing securely in the ballot box.
6. Ballot papers will be counted by a member of staff, and the results will be announced in assembly. One boy and one girl from each year group will be elected for School Council, therefore there will be eight pupils in School Council.

We actively promote British values to ensure all our children leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. Within School Council, we focus specifically on certain aspects of British Values to enhance pupil understanding and to develop their leadership skills.

The British Values are:

• democracy
• rule of law
• individual liberty
• mutual respect
• tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

British Values - Annual events

Each year, School Council will:

• Visit the local Town Hall and Council Chambers in Ilkeston. Pupils will meet the Mayor and debate a topical theme such as the environment, transport, recycling or climate change.
• Visit London and tour the Houses of Parliament. School Councillors will learn how laws are made, and will discover the differences between the House of Commons and House of Lords. Pupils will sit in the House of Commons behind the Prime Minister’s seat and then walk across London to see important sights such as Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, the River Thames, and the Cenotaph.
• Deliver an assembly to the whole school on anti-bullying.
• Collect pupil voice linked to the School’s Development Plan and the curriculum.

Once pupils have been elected to School Council, they will apply for a specific role to work closely with senior leaders and governors helping to gather pupil voice, and contribute to decision-making.