In a health promoting school, pupils have an important part to play in making decisions about the life and work of the school. One of the ways in which pupils can have their say and make sure that their views and ideas are listened to is through the pupil council.
What is a pupil council?
The pupil council:
- gives pupils the chance to tell teachers and staff their ideas
- represents each class in the school
- meets regularly to talk about important school issues and projects
- puts forward the class views at council meetings
- takes forward the views of the very young classes, who may find it difficult to put forward other's opinions.
The pupil council must have:
- a constitution, which is a list of rules clearly setting out roles and responsibilities
- a chairperson, who leads the meetings by following the agenda, which is a list of items to be discussed
- a secretary, who takes notes of what is said at the meeting – these notes are called the minutes of the meeting
- a link teacher, to give guidance and support.
What happens during and after a pupil council meeting?
During the pupil council meeting:
- important issues are discussed, ideas shared and action points decided
- discussions must be orderly and fair, with everyone having an equal opportunity to talk or be listened to
- the chairperson should make sure that councillors show respect for each other.
After the meeting:
- representatives report back to their class while things are still fresh in their minds - this helps every pupil to feel involved
- teachers must give enough time to let the class discuss points that have been raised
- a class or school suggestion box can be used to gather ideas: these can be discussed at the next meeting.
What are the benefits of a pupil council?
The pupil council:
- involves you in decisions that affect you, your class and your school
- keeps you informed about the life of the school
- helps you to gain the confidence to have your say
- helps you to feel good about your place in the school community
- gives you responsibilities and encourages you to be an active citizen
- gets exciting issues moving
- deals quickly with issues that trouble you.
Get involved in your pupil council. You can make a difference!
Useful web links
- School Councils UK
The School Councils UK website is for pupil councils in schools and has information on how to start one and the benefits. - School councils: why bother?
This web page from Citizenship Pieces asks why you should have a school council and looks at issues it can tackle in the school.
