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School Council
St Michael’s School Council – Giving Pupils a Voice
At St Michael’s, we believe every child should have a say in shaping school life. Our School Council provides a meaningful way for pupils to share their ideas and influence decisions that affect them. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for children to develop leadership skills and learn about democracy in action.
“We all have a say in what happens at St Michael's. Together, we will make a difference.”
What is the School Council?
The School Council is a group of pupils elected by their classmates to represent their views and help make our school even better. Our council includes representatives from KS1 and KS2, ensuring every voice is heard.
At the start of each school year, every class elects one representative. These councillors meet fortnightly to discuss ideas and plan projects.
Learning Roles and Responsibilities
Before starting their work, councillors learn what it means to be a School Council member. They explore their responsibilities, such as:
- Representing the views of their classmates.
- Attending regular meetings and sharing ideas.
- Helping to organise charity events.
- Promoting respect and care for our school environment.
They also learn the qualities needed to succeed – being reliable, enthusiastic, respectful, and committed to making our school the best it can be.
How Does It Work?
- Each class keeps a School Council book to record suggestions and issues.
- Representatives bring these ideas to the council meetings.
- After meetings, councillors feedback to their class and encourage discussion and voting on actions.
- Meeting minutes are displayed on the School Council board and published on the school website.
Why Is This Important?
Through their work, councillors help organise charity events, improve school life, and encourage pupils to respect and care for our environment.
This also supports the fundamental British Values:
- Democracy – Pupils vote and share ideas.
- Individual Liberty – Children express their opinions freely.
- Mutual Respect & Tolerance – Listening to different viewpoints during discussions.
- Rule of Law – Understanding why rules matter and how decisions are made.
We are proud of our School Council and look forward to seeing the positive impact they will make this year!
Meet our School Council:
Our school council is formed of KS1 and KS2 pupils, who were elected by their class members, to represent the views of all pupils and to improve our school.
🌟 Our School Council Song 🌟
We’ve chosen “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars as our School Council song because it shows what we believe in – helping each other, being kind, and working as a team. Just like the song says, you can always count on us to listen, share your ideas, and make our school the best it can be!
//www.youtube.com/embed/6k8cpUkKK4c#t=0.5
School Council Blog
Term 1: Our Plans for the Year
Our newly elected School Council is ready to make a difference!
This term, they kicked things off by leading a whole-school assembly where they introduced themselves and shared their responsibilities as councillors.
They also revealed their vision for the year, inspired by our school motto:
“We all have a say in what happens at St Michael’s. Together, we will make a difference.”
Before diving into their projects, the councillors spent time learning what it means to be a School Council member.
They explored their roles and responsibilities, including:
Representing the views of their classmates.
- Attending regular meetings and sharing ideas.
- Helping to organise charity events.
- Encouraging respect and care for our school environment.
They also learned the qualities needed to succeed in this role – being reliable, enthusiastic, respectful, and committed to making our school the best it can be.
Over the next few weeks, the Council will be gathering ideas from across the school on how we can make St Michael’s an even better place to learn, play, and grow. All suggestions will be collected and used to create an action plan that will guide their projects for the year.
We can’t wait to see the positive impact our School Council will have. Watch this space for updates on their progress and the changes they’ll bring!
Term 2: UK Parliament Week
This term, our School Council has been busy leading UK Parliament Week across the school!
To kick things off, they delivered an engaging assembly to explain what Parliament is, how it works, and why it matters. The children learned about the Houses of Commons and Lords, the role of the Monarch, and how laws are made. They even discovered fun facts – like why the benches are green and red, and that Big Ben is actually the bell, not the tower!
But the learning didn’t stop there. Over the coming days, pupils will get a taste of democracy in action through a series of exciting activities:
- Petitions – Classes will create petitions about changes they’d like to see in school.
- Debates – Pupils will take part in mini debates, sharing ideas and listening respectfully to different viewpoints.
- School Vote – Finally, we’ll hold a whole-school vote, using ballot boxes just like in Parliament!
These activities will help children understand how decisions are made and why every voice counts. It’s a fantastic opportunity for them to experience the democratic process first-hand and see how they can make a difference.
UK Parliament Week is a brilliant way to embed the fundamental British Values in our school community:
- Democracy – Children learn about voting, representation, and having their say.
- Individual Liberty – Pupils express their opinions through petitions and debates.
- Mutual Respect & Tolerance – Listening to different viewpoints during debates encourages respect and understanding.
- Rule of Law – Understanding how laws are made and why they matter reinforces the importance of rules in society.
Through these activities, our pupils are not only learning about Parliament but also living out these values in a practical, meaningful way.
Stay tuned for updates on the petitions, debates, and the big vote!
Term 3: British Values
This term, our whole school is focusing on British Values – the principles that help us live together kindly, fairly, and respectfully. These values are:
- Democracy
- Rule of Law
- Individual Liberty
- Mutual Respect
- Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs
We began Term 3 with a whole-school assembly exploring what these values mean and why they are important in our everyday lives. Pupils learned how these values guide us to make good choices, respect each other, and celebrate differences.
School Council Leading the Way
Our School Council representatives from Years 1 to 6 will be leading activities each week to help their classes reflect on these values. Here’s the plan for the term:
Week 1 – Democracy
Classes will hold a vote on a fun decision and discuss what makes voting fair.
Week 2 – Rule of Law
Pupils will create a “Golden Rule” for their classroom and think about why rules matter.
Week 3 – Individual Liberty
Children will share choices they’ve made and how those choices affect others.
Week 4 – Mutual Respect
Classes will explore what respect looks like and why it makes school a better place.
Week 5 – Tolerance
Pupils will learn something new about a different culture or belief and share it with their peers.
Follow Our Journey
Each week, we’ll update this blog with photos, quotes from pupils, and highlights from the activities. We want to capture the voices of our children and celebrate how they are living out these values in school.
Check back regularly to see how our pupils are making British Values part of everyday life at St. Michael Catholic Primary and Nursery School!
Week 1 – Democracy at St. Michael Catholic Primary and Nursery School
This week, our focus is on Democracy, one of the five British Values that guide us in living together fairly and respectfully.
In our whole-school assembly, we explored what democracy means: everyone has a voice, and decisions are made fairly. We talked about how voting helps us share ideas and make choices together.
School Council Activity:
Each class held a vote on a fun decision – from choosing a story to picking a game. Our School Council representatives led the discussion and explained why voting matters.
Pupil Voice:
“I liked voting because everyone got a chance to choose.”
“It was fair because we all had the same say.”
Reflection Question:
How did voting make people feel? Was it fair?
📸 Check back soon for photos of our classes in action and more quotes from pupils!
Next week, we’ll be learning about Rule of Law – why rules are important and how they help us.