THE POWER OF STUDENT VOICEpower to improve…
BERNARD TRAFFORD
Student Voice: why?
ECM/Ofsted Right in principle School improvement
Every Child Matters
1.Be healthy2.Stay safe3.Enjoy and achieve4.Make a positive contribution5.Achieve economic well-being
Every Child Matters
1.Be healthy2.Stay safe3.Enjoy and achieve4.Make a positive contribution5.Achieve economic well-being
Student Voice: what?
Consultation Focus groups Analysis/surveys etc Working groups School Council Democratic participation:
inc. Teaching and Learning
Added Value of School Democracy
improved behaviour increased attendance reduced bullying better kept rules warm, mutually respectful relationships
between teachers and pupils (and also among both groups)
strengthened, shared school ethos creating a feeling of ‘our school’ among pupils and staff
raised levels of attainment, including hard-edged exam results.
Added Value of School Democracy
improved behaviour (2.safe) increased attendance (2.safe: 3.enjoy/achieve) reduced bullying (2.safe: 3.enjoy/achieve) better kept rules (2.safe: 3.enjoy/achieve) warm, mutually respectful relationships
between teachers and pupils (and also among both groups) (2.safe: 3.enjoy/achieve)
strengthened, shared school ethos creating a feeling of ‘our school’ among pupils and staff (3.enjoy/achieve: 4.contribution)
raised levels of attainment, including hard-edged exam results (3.enjoy/achieve)
School Council
Visible symbol of school’s commitment to student voice and democracy
Monitor of ethos Agent of change
(School Councils UK cartoon)
So why do councils so often disappoint?
“Case studies found that school councils were often limited by a lack of continual student interest, and that many school councils were badly organised and promoted. Teachers also attributed the ineffectiveness of school councils to a lack of leadership by students, a lack of support by senior management and a school ethos that did not encourage participation.”
(NFER Citizenship Longitudinal Study)
Why do councils run out of steam?
96% of English secondary heads say that their school has a school council
45% of secondary school pupils report being involved in school or class elections
(NFER Citizenship Longitudinal Study)
What’s are the obstacles to Student Voice?
1.People?2.Council?3.Wider Student
Voice?
Common causes of school council underperformance: senior staff
school ethos does not embrace student democracy
senior staff do not believe in or support the council
headteacher not seen visibly and actively to support the council
the headteacher doesn’t confront (or persuade in the face of) adult fears about empowering pupils
Time/energy not devoted to student voice
Common causes of school council underperformance: teachers
teachers are hostile to/fearful of the work of the council
teachers ignore the work of the council
class teachers/tutors ignore the work of the council – and the contribution needed from them
Common causes of school council underperformance: students students don’t know council is there students don’t know what council is for students don’t know what council does expectations of what can (or can’t) be
achieved are unreal or unclear people are shy: unwilling to take a
prominent role
Common causes of school council underperformance: the council itself
council doesn’t understand its role council petitions instead of engaging
actively with problems council works hard but successes are
invisible communication between elected
representatives and the grassroots is poor
More causes of underperformance: structure
the council structure and/or size are inappropriate
inadequate time given to council meetings
council meetings held irregularly and/or infrequently
council meetings not given high-status, protected time
feedback is poor
More causes of underperformance: structure
roles are not clearly understood training for representatives and council
officers is non-existent or inadequate boundaries and non-negotiable are not
understood the council lacks a credible voice because
– council members are appointed or imposed by staff rather than elected by pupils
– the council membership does not reflect the pupil body
– some minorities are excluded from representation or participation in the council
Making Student Voice work
Getting the elements in place Getting the brief right
Head’s support
Clearly engagedPromotes successesOvercomes teachers’ (and
others’) fearsDevelops real democracy:
doesn’t direct or select
Getting the brief right 1
Understanding roles: active, not petitioning
(School Councils UK cartoon)
Getting the brief right 2
Clarity and training Involvement at grassroots levelCommunication and staff supportClear understanding of roles:
another training need Clear boundaries
Structures and procedures
Elections: getting the right peopleSkills Structure and sizeTimeProtected timeTraining
Extend Student Voice
Surveys and promotions eg Healthy Schools: students as advocates
Peer support: students as counsellors Conflict resolution Anti-bullying initiatives Fixing events/festivals: students as organisers School newspaper/SV website/radio station/podcasts
etc Appointing staff: students as interviewers T&L: students as observers Student behaviour panels
Dangers of building student voice into school improvement
School starts to direct student voice instead of working with it
School Council ‘tasked’ School Council by-passed Focus/task groups drawn from ‘suitable’ students School Council loses control of personnel No room for dissent/negotiation Pressure to get results diminishes democratic
process
Control takes over from trust
Trust
If you think the worst of people and show it, they will often prove you right. If the systems we design are based on the principle that people cannot be trusted, then those people won’t bother to be trustworthy. On the other hand, if you believe that most people are capable and can be relied upon, they will often live up to your expectations.’ [Charles Handy (1997) The Hungry Spirit: beyond capitalism – a quest for purpose in the modern world]
Trust repaid
Dr Bernard Trafford
Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne
www.bernardtrafford.com