Pupil Voice
Volunteering is an activity that everyone can get involved in and benefit from. At Woodstock Primary we promote and encourage pupils’ active citizenship and positive contribution to the school and wider community. We offer lots of opportunities for pupils to take on new responsibilities and be involved in successfully supporting the life and work of the school. These include elected representatives on our Pupil Parliament. Older pupils can also apply and be interviewed for positions such as Playground Leaders and Library Leaders, and within classes children can volunteer to take on various responsibilities.
We actively promote pupil leadership opportunities, enabling your child to develop valuable communication, organisation and debating skills. Providing these key roles of responsibility are paramount to their development and learning experience.
Involving children as volunteers is very empowering:
- It helps them to develop self-confidence.
- It promotes self-esteem.
- It develops their skills as leaders.
- It involves them in making their own decisions.
- It gives them a voice in the life and work of the school.
- It offers them opportunity to take responsibility
- It enables them to make a positive contribution to the work of the school and wider community.
- It helps to prepares them for the challenges and opportunities of adult and working life.
Pupils tell us that they enjoy the opportunity to volunteer to help make their school an even better place to be, and rising to the challenge that additional responsibility brings.
Eco - Committee
Membership
The pupil Parliament, led by Mrs Coaker, meet to discuss Eco matters and lead initiatives across the school.
What is Eco-Schools?
Eco-Schools is a scheme, which supports schools to raise pupils’ awareness of environmental issues through curriculum work and specific environmental projects. Click here to visit the Eco-Schools website.
The eco-schools programme links to most if not all curriculum areas. In particular, many cross-curricular issues such as citizenship, enterprise and personal, social and health education can be tackled through involvement in Eco-Schools.
It is an accredited award scheme. Schools who achieve eco-school status receive a Green Flag to display in their school. If a school achieves four Green Flags then they can be awarded permanent eco-school status. Woodstock CE Primary School is very proud to say that we were awarded our fifth Green Flag Accreditation.
Playground Leaders
What are Playground Leaders?
Playground Leaders are Year 5 and 6 children who lead fun physical activities for our other children at lunchtimes. The volunteers take part in training and then work in small teams to organise games and fun sessions to help keep themselves and others active. The PGLs take it in turns to give one lunchtime per week to the scheme. In doing so, they gain valuable experience of leadership and volunteering, including team work skills, organisational competence and developing their powers of communication.
How do you become a PGL at Woodstock Primary School?
Children in Year 5 & 6 can apply to be a PGL at the beginning of the academic year. They receive a job description and need to write a letter of application to the Mrs Hipwell and Mr McKay, PGL Co-ordinators. The applications re-considered and children are invited to attend training to successfully carry out their role.
Pupil Parliament
The Pupil Parliament is a group of children who represent their peers as Members of Parliament and bring forward their views to improve the school, the curriculum and its grounds. The Pupil Parliament is made up of one pupil representative from each class from Years 1-6, together with a Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State from Year 6.
The Pupil Parliament has been running since 2006 and our achievements have grown each year. At the meetings, attended by Mrs Coaker (Madam Speaker), we decide what we can do to improve the school. We don’t just decide ourselves what to do, our class suggest ideas for us to take to meetings. The Year 6 Secretary of State prepares the agenda, and we meet once a term.