At Norham much of our ethos is rooted in the idea of ‘partnership built on strong resilient relationships’. We believe that our children should play a realistic role in the decision making process. With the formation of a School Council, the children have an opportunity to share their views and play an active role in school improvements.

Representatives are elected from Reception to Year 4 meet regularly to discuss how they can help improve our school. Classmates share concerns or ideas with their class representatives for discussion at the meeting.

As issues are discussed children learn:

• To take part in discussions.
• To develop the skills of chairing meetings and taking notes.
• To gain confidence to make decisions and carry them out.
• To contribute actively to the success of their school.

The school council reflects the importance placed on developing British Values by enabling the children to learn through the experience of democracy and the expression of individual opinions.

Recent discussions have led to school improvements, the provision of sound and audio equipment for the hall, a ‘Buddies’ system for break times and the development of features of this web site. Currently we are discussing the implementation of playground games and the use of playground equipment.

A case study: Outdoor Environment (2022-2023)

The school council wanted to improve the outdoor environemnt and have a range of areas to play and relax. The children then created a list of equipment and areas, making benches, display boards and seats to fill the new learning areas.