Welcome to Our School Council

At Monks Risborough CE Primary School, we take pride in fostering a vibrant and inclusive community, and our School Council plays a vital role in this mission. As a one-form entry Church of England primary school, we believe in empowering our students to have a voice in shaping their learning environment and school life.

What We Do

The School Council is made up of elected representatives from each class, ensuring that every child's opinion is heard and valued. Our council members meet regularly to discuss important issues, share ideas, and propose initiatives that enhance our school community. Key responsibilities of the School Council include:

• Listening to Peers: Gathering feedback from classmates on various topics, including school policies, playground activities, and learning experiences.
• Organising Events: Planning and coordinating events such as charity fundraisers, themed days, and community outreach projects.
• Promoting British Values: Upholding the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Our council encourages discussions around these values, helping to create a respectful and harmonious school environment.
   

The Impact We Have

The School Council is instrumental in making positive changes within our school. By voicing the concerns and suggestions of their peers, council members help to:

• Enhance School Life: Initiatives led by the School Council have led to improvements in playground facilities, the introduction of new clubs, and the enhancement of learning resources.
• Build Leadership Skills: Participating in the School Council helps students develop essential skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, preparing them for future leadership roles.
• Foster Community Spirit: Through charity events and community projects, the School Council promotes a sense of belonging and encourages students to contribute positively to society.
   

At Monks Risborough CE Primary School, we are proud of our School Council and the vital role it plays in nurturing our students' voices and promoting a strong sense of community. Together, we strive to create a school environment where every child feels valued and empowered to make a difference. We are a school family who are passionate about our values, ensuring every child thrives in every way.

School Council Meeting Minutes - Monday 12th January

All classes in attendance - lead by Mrs Horton and Sivuno.

The school council meeting today was a great success - we have chosen the winning Thriving Champion sticker through blind vote and all will be revealed in Friday's worship!

We also discussed our accessibility plan and the children felt like we did a lot to be accessible. They could talk about Braille on the classroom doors and how we support specific children that they know with needs. We discussed Makaton being a communication tool that we talk when we use, and BSL being a language for deaf people who predominantly cannot talk. I told them about our fold up ramp that can support wheelchair users to move around the school building as it has lots of stairs.

In terms of next steps, children felt like they could switch places in the classroom more to make the learning accessible to all throughout their time in the classroom. Some children said they had the same place all year and wanted the opportunity to work with different children in their class to learn more about them. They also wondered about classroom monitors to make sure everyone was accessing opportunities in the classroom. The children also questioned wearing shoes, particularly in book corners and how that might support children with ASD and if it was respectful of different religions. 

We looked through the suggestion boxes and these were viable options:

- Book shop in school - children suggested that maybe a Scholastic book fair could come during Book Week, Miss Dawes?

- Friendship benches - KS2 children knew where these were but recognised the signs had fallen off. I will reprint some and grab some children to put them up at some point before the next meeting. This will support those children who are struggling at play times.

- Play times - children wanted adults to lead more games. They also suggested a list of equipment in the play shed so they knew what resources were available, which I will take action on. Please can we encourage more staff to play, modelling when we are on duty, and I will share the playtime policy again to remind of expectations.

School Council Meeting Minutes - Monday 3rd November

All classes in attendance - lead by Sivuno and Mrs Horton.

Another successful school council! Just a reminder about boxes and making sure children record ideas in them.

We also discussed Children in Need that Mrs Howard is organising with the help of the school council. School council either chose or will request a vote for a 'Challenge Yourself for 25' activity where children do something challenging for 25 minutes. This can be 5 minutes a day next week or 25 minutes in one hit. Some were fond of silence for 25 minutes as they thought it would be a challenge for their class!! https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/fundraising/challenge-yourself-to-25-inspiration/#block_26f3341e6faa453245d9b15ec82cbea6

Please let us know once your class/school council have decided their activity. The day will also be non uniform for a donation.

School Council Meeting Minutes - Monday 29th September

Lead by Mrs Horton and Sivuno - all classes attended this meeting.

We had a brilliant first school council meeting - thank you to all of your school councillors! Please give them time to feedback to their classes about:

- School council suggestion boxes should be ready by next week

- Classes should think about how we could improve these three points that were some of the lowest scoring from pupil survey results:

1. My teachers give me work that challenges me

2. My teachers tell me I'm doing good work

3. I know how to make my work better