Welcome to our School Council and Pupil Roles and Responsibilities
At Kingswood, we really do feel this is ‘our’ school and ensuring the pupils understand their voice is important is key to a collaborative approach when it comes to break times, lunch activities, World themes, their education, charities and the local community.
We have a number of Pupil Roles and Responsibilities that cover each area the pupils are passionate about and want to address. Each child applies in writing, where they explain why they feel they would be right for the position and what they would like to action if they are given a role. We then have a formal ceremony in assembly, where the whole school learns who their representatives are and celebrate the pupils receiving their lanyards –
“Can we please change the badges Mrs Sanchez to something else, as these ruin our new uniform with holes? We all feel the same!”
Chloe, Birch Class Year 3
School Council
Our school council is made up of two pupils from each year group, who meet once a term in a ‘council esqu’ environment, where ideas are discussed and voted upon, surveyed between the whole school and then placed in an Action Plan.
A snapshot of their pupil outcomes: setting up a lunch club in the library for KS1, voting for a school song out of five suggestions (‘This is me!’ The Greatest Showman) and starting to help the elderly in the community now restrictions have reduced by creating ‘Happy Coasters’, as well as raising money with ‘small change to make big change’ to set up a pupil shop
Wellbeing Warriors
Our Wellbeing Warriors are both KS1 (Year 2) and KS2 pupils. They are visible on the playground by wearing hi-vis waistcoats so children can ask to play, have a chat or just spend time with them holding hands. Wellbeing Warriors have an important presence at Kingswood, as we want children to feel safe and happy in class and on the playground. Wellbeing Warriors support children, with the support of the staff on duty.
A snapshot of some of their pupil outcomes: Launching Worry Monsters in class, planting hanging baskets at the front of the school to make their peers happy and setting up a ‘safe space’.
Eco Warriors
The Eco Warriors are passionate about the environment – worldwide, within our school and around our local community. Again, their ideas are discussed, voted upon and then placed into their termly action plan.
A snapshot of some of their pupil outcomes: Organising a cake sale to raise money towards another bin on the playground (raising £95!), arranging a litter rota on the playground and supporting the crisp packet challenge to raise money for the Kent Air Ambulance.
Sports/Activity Captains
The Sports and Activity Captains arrange equipment and activities at break and lunchtime for the whole school, as well as support the younger pupils during their play times too.
A snapshot of some of their pupil outcomes: Raised the point of view that not all children enjoy playing sports at break times and asked for ‘activity’ captains too, created a sport and activity rota to support YrR, 1 & 2 children on the playground and organised equipment bins for each class.
Librarians
Our children at Kingswood share a passion for reading and our librarians support those children who wish to spend time reading at lunch times. They listen to their peers read, as well as hold storytime sessions where they read to the younger children.
A snapshot of some of their pupil outcomes: Create a pupil book review task and organise a ‘Read a book Challenge’.
House Captains
Our House Captains are made up of our Year 6 children, where two children in each house Captain the whole school houses. Siblings are placed into the same house for the entirety of their journey through Kingswood.
Our Houses are:
Robins, Kingfishers, Goldfinches, Lapwings
The House Captains set a termly challenge for each pupil to participate in if they wish. Each child who submits an entry earns a house point for their house. Challenges have included: Create a poppy for remembrance day using any materials you wish, tell us which career you aspire to be when you are older and come up with ‘An Act of Kindness’ idea for our Kingswood Acts of Kindness Calendar. House points are then collated at the end of each term.
A snapshot of some of their pupil outcomes: Character Coins counted as House Points at the end of the week and Termly House Challenges for house points.
Each term we have a ‘Big Question’ session, where pupils have the opportunity to survey the whole school and carry out votes, as well as asking them to think about current questions within the World around us – from should everyone learn sign language to is it everyone’s responsibility to look after endangered species?
Our pupils’ voice is extremely important to us at Kingswood and we encourage our children to ask questions, explore possibilities and feel they ‘have a say’ about what happens in their school.