Aim

The School Council’s purpose is to provide Oldbury Wells School students with an opportunity to express their opinions and ideas in how the school is run in an appropriate and positive way. A sense of belonging and ownership is essential for young people in order for them to feel empowered and invested in their own future as far as is possible and practical. The best way of doing this is for the students to be included in the decision making process of the school and provided with opportunities through consultation to gain a sense that they are listened to and instrumental in the harmonious running of their school, education and their community. Student participation in the running of the school is an essential part of the ethos of inclusion and representation at Oldbury Wells.

Meetings

Each form elects two representatives who represent the students in their form at the year council. At these meetings the students discuss issues that they feel are important to them, receive feedback from previous meetings and are set tasks or challenges that are directly relevant to them and which they are well suited to discuss. At each year council meeting a representative is chosen to attend the school council meeting in order to raise issues and gain feedback from the school leadership.

By having two members from each form group across all years, the School Council allows the students to raise awareness of issues that are important to them and provides the student body with a way to represent the interests of the whole student body. This is important as it allows the students to feel integrated into the daily life and running of the school and allows the school leadership a powerful tool for consultation.