Our School Council
Whitkirk School Council
At Whitkirk Primary School, our School Council is a group of passionate children who represent the views of all our pupils. It gives our children the opportunity to have their voices heard, contribute to school life and be active members of our whole-school community. School Councillors help make decisions, share ideas from their classmates and organise projects that support learning, development and wellbeing- such as charity events, playground initiatives, and representing the school at outside events. We value the opinions of our pupils, and the School Council provides a forum for them to communicate with the School Council teacher representative, Headteacher, School Governors and other staff.
Why does Whitkirk have a School Council?
Our School Council provides a meaningful way for children to express their opinions and have their views considered in decision-making across school. This reflects our commitment to promoting fairness, democracy and responsible choices.
This also links directly to Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which states that children’s opinions should be taken seriously when decisions are made about matters that affect them, with their evolving capacities taken into account. Article 12 also highlights the importance of ensuring children have the information they need to make informed choices.
How our School Council is chosen
At the start of each school year, Whitkirk holds democratic School Council Elections.
Children who would like to represent their class can put themselves forward and explain why they would make a good councillor. Each class then takes part in a real ballot-style vote, learning about democracy, fairness and decision-making. Once votes are counted, one School Councillor is elected for each class, with two representatives per year group from Year 1 to Year 6.
What our Whitkirk School Council does
School Councillors meet regularly to discuss how we can make Whitkirk an even better place for everyone. They gather ideas from their classmates, share them during meetings and work with staff to help make positive changes across the school.
Our focus this year
This year, the School Council is focusing on building positive relationships and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. Councillors are helping us explore ways to ensure every child at Whitkirk feels happy, safe and supported. This includes contributing to the development of our classroom Regulation Stations and sharing ideas on how to create happy, healthy and enjoyable playtimes.
