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 lunchtime
  • Be enthusiastic
  • Be kind and respectful
  • Be patient