Student Voice

1. Student Voice Presented by Lucy Downham 2013 Student Voice BOT Report L. Downham 2013

2. Student Voice To provide opportunities to empower students to voice their ideas and opinions to enhance their school. Student Voice BOT Report L. Downham 2013

3. Key objectives for Student Voice To provide opportunities for students: • to be a part of classroom decisions. • to participate in whole school decisions. • to implement ideas and initiatives that improve students’ learning and enjoyment at school. • to take greater ownership of their learning and school. Student Voice BOT Report L. Downham 2013

4. Student Voice in the Classroom Initiatives within the classroom: • The Carnival inquiry; organising/promoting the stall and evaluating the Carnival. • Taking ownership of the classroom display boards. • Being a part of the decision process for the classroom organisation e.g. book corner, maths corner. • Investigating and deciding how to spend the classroom budget e.g. stationery. • Voting on classroom routines e.g. daily songs to sing, award systems etc. • Students deciding on the fitness programme and leading the sessions. • Deciding how they want to publish their work for their own wiki page. • Selecting the dance they want to perform during Grandparents’ Day. • Producing their Wet Day Lunch Matrix. • Creating their Class Treaties. Student Voice BOT Report L. Downham 2013

6. Student Voice across the School 2013 Student Voice becomes embedded with many other initiatives across the school. There are many opportunities for students to share their opinions in whole school issues. Such as: • The PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) team will involve students in the process of producing a new behaviour matrix that will apply across the school. Students will share their opinions and ideas on the school’s behaviour expectations. • The e-learning team are seeking student’s opinions on the new e-learning policy. These will be gathered through a Survey Monkey questionnaire. • By including student voice, students will gain ownership of these. Student Voice BOT Report L. Downham 2013

7. Student Voice Break time Clubs: Students applied to lead their own break time clubs. A group of children were invited to the staff meeting to present their ideas and ask adults to supervise the activity. Pupils were inundated with offers of help. Children planned their club; the activity they would do each week, how it would be managed, resources they would need and so forth. The clubs were promoted by the children to the rest of the school. At present there are eight clubs aimed at a mix of ages. There is a demand for more clubs to start next term and a whole host of willing adults to help supervise! Students who currently run a club will help others to set up their own club. The clubs have brought children together from across the year groups, as well as an opportunity to get to know staff members from different teaching levels. Many clubs are already planning end of term performances such as, a hula hoop dance for Grandparents’ Day. Student Voice BOT Report L. Downham 2013

8. Break Time Clubs Timetable Student Voice BOT Report L. Downham 2013

10. ROPS Connect: • A recorded, fortnightly news broadcast for the community produced by the students. • Year 5 and 6 students led a competition for the news bulletin’s name and logo. The competition was judged by a More fm presenter. • Students from various year levels, write, direct and star in ROPS Connect, updating their families and the community about ROPS news. • Everyclass can provide news ideas, pictures, videos to be included. • The class involved, decide what is relevant and important to them and what they would like to be share. • Year 5 and 6 students edit the clip. • The broadcast is available on the Acorn and Oaks Wiki page, as well as a link in the Newsletter. • A great opportunity to promote children’s presentation skills and reach out to the community. Student Voice BOT Report L. Downham 2013

12. What the children had to say. . . • “We really enjoyed the opportunity to create our own break time club.” Ava, Year 6. • “Being in ROPS Connect was so much fun.” Ruby, Year 6. • “We are given so many opportunities to take responsibility and show we are able to be leaders.” Year 6 group meeting. • “It is great to be able to share our skills with others and the younger ones are amazed at what we can do!” Isaiah, Year 6. • “It is fun having our own Wiki page to show our work to our families.” Anna, Year 6. Student Voice BOT Report L. Downham 2013

13. What next..? • Continue with the student led break time clubs. Students to establish new clubs with the support of their peers who currently run a club. • Continue to create ROPS Connect as a vehicle for sharing student news at ROPS. • Establish a school-wide time to view ROPS Connect. • Further add ideas for Student Voice opportunities within the classroom on the Tree of Learning wiki page,share these at staff meetings. • Establish a student group to support with next term’s ATHON fundraiser. Pupils to be an integral part of deciding upon ideas for the ATHON. • Students to take responsibility for communicating about the ATHON to the whole school. • Extend school review practices to include student voice. Student Voice BOT Report L. Downham 2013

14. Where to now. . . • Students to be a part of organising the Long Bay trip. Surveying their peers on what they want, organising the day’s activities, ordering the food needed, creating safety clips and posters. Promoting the event. • Work with Year 5 and 6 pupils to train them to be IT experts. So that they can support younger pupils with their IT needs. Students can be called upon to help others with using, apps, programmes etc, similar to a Yellow Pages system. • Next year, establish a School Council, which represents students from across the school. Initially, with the focus on pastoral care. Student Voice BOT Report L. Downham 2013

15. Student Voice Presented by Lucy Downham 2013 Student Voice BOT Report L. Downham 2013