Pupil Leadership
What is Pupil Leadership?
The term 'pupil leadership' refers to the practices that reflect the importance of providing children with the opportunities and support to play a role in making the decisions that affect them. The principles of effective pupil leadership include:
- Recognising that pupils have logical perspectives and opinions on issues that matter in the classroom, in the school, and in the community.
- Giving pupils an active role in influencing decisions about these issues as well as in the implementation of these decisions.
- Enabling pupils to participate as active young citizens.
Developing participation and leadership skills
In our school, we involve the pupils in decision making in many ways.
In the classroom:
- Involving pupils in conversations and decisions about our “Behaviour Charter” and what the code of conduct should look like.
- Engaging pupils in conversations and decisions about teaching, learning and assessment.
- Encouraging pupils to develop and share their own opinions about issues and to engage in debate, discussion and analysis of those issues.
In the school:
- Involving pupils in the decision-making of the school through participating in the School Council.
- Electing pupils to meaningful roles of Eco-Council, Chaplains, House Captains and Digital Leaders.
- Engaging pupils as members and participants in key school processes such as staff recruitment
- Involving pupils in peer support, buddying, playground leaders.
- Inviting and enabling pupils to undertake research and consultation about aspects of the school that may need change or improvement.
In the community:
- Supporting pupils to develop and implement community-based projects, possibly in partnership with other agencies, to enhance and support learning.
- Enabling pupils to engage with local government and the wider community.
G.I.F.T Team - Growing in Faith Together
Our GIFT team is made up of the Caritas Ambassadors, Laudato Si members and our Worship leaders. These three groups have their own meetings and projects but all share the common goal of promoting our faith through our actions, prayer and liturgy. At times, these groups will come together in joint projects. Watch this space to find out what they are up to in 2023-2024.
G.I.F.T Team Mission
‘Growing in Faith Together’
Our GIFT Team is a model of empowerment for both students and staff. It builds on and extends existing activities and, most importantly, gives our young people the chance to grow in confidence and capability as they begin to take ownership of the development of spirituality in our school. The Caritas Ambassadors, Laudato Si’ team and Worship Leaders collaborate to work on projects to promote our faith.
Our mission is to:
- Work hard to promote our Catholic faith in school and inspire others to follow God
- Teach and model Gospel values and show love in all that we do
- Support the school in emphasising and following our school’s mission statement ‘United in love and the light of Jesus, we inspire one another to learn, grown and shine.’
- Promote, plan and organise the celebration of liturgies and co-operate with others in developing the school as a welcoming and inclusive community
- Prepare worship spaces and displays around school
- Promote a safe and happy world through the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, making links with the community and supporting the vulnerable
- To do what we can to help and protect the planet in line with Pope Francis’ encyclical on caring for our common home and inspire others to do the same