Pupil Voice: Establishing a Culture of Participation

Education for Citizenship encourages young people to develop the capability for thoughtful and responsible participation in political, social, economic and cultural life.

Central to this, is the need for young people, their opinions and their contributions to whole school life to be valued and given the highest priority.

This theme is reflected in both the Journey to Excellence and Curriculum for Excellence, where pupil voice has a fundamental role.

This seminar explores pupil participation in its widest sense, drawing on the experiences of practitioners from across Scotland, and from recent research.

There will be discussion about the key elements required to establish effective pupil participation within a school, and how to overcome potential barriers.

Participants will be invited to consider:

• the range and benefits of pupil participation, from young people being active partners in their learning, to being responsible members of their community, taking on lead roles beyond the classroom
• how to establish participation as part of a whole school culture where learners feel fully involved in the life of the school
• barriers to effective participation and how to overcome them

Alison Weatherston, East Renfrewshire Council