Fundraising for new bike sheds, fitting smoke alarms in the toilets, updating disabled access or researching the successes of ex-pupils – pupils on school councils in Wrexham have had a busy year, and Wrexham Council’s school council event was a great place to share their projects with each other.
School councils are made up of pupils from each school year, and it’s their job to represent other pupils to the headteacher and staff, and make the voice of the school population heard.
This school councils event, organised by Wrexham’s Participation Team, was a great way to show young people all of the opportunities they have in Wrexham to learn more about democracy as a whole, how they can get involved and also how to improve their skills in representing their classmates.
It was also the perfect opportunity for council’s from different schools to compare notes on what they had been doing.
Introducing the event, Donna Dickenson, Head of Prevention and Support, Education & Early Intervention Services, said: “In the education department we really want to know what children and young people think, so we are always looking to young people like yourselves and listening to your voice. I hope that today gives you chance to share ideas and learn about opportunities that will give you the skills to hear the needs of your peers and be able to make your case.
“You are also the next generation of voters and its important you know how that works. A lot of the decisions we make as a council affect you, so we want to know what you think.”
Pupils from Clywedog, Ysgol Bryn Alyn, St Christopher’s School, Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, St Joseph’s Catholic and Anglican High School and Ysgol y Grango came to the event and learned about Senedd yr Ifanc, Healthy Schools team and Associate Pupil Governors and discussed what made the perfect school councillor.
This last activity created a lot of conversation, and was a great way for the young people to think about what skills a school councillor needs to best represent their pupils. – and putting in effort, caring for the ideas of others, patience, punctuality and being co-operative all made the list.
Caroline Bennett, participation coordinator at Wrexham Council, said: “This was such an important and fun-filled day. The young people who came play an important role within the structure of their schools, and have valued roles as linking their fellow pupils with the schools’ management teams. We hope they left the event with a better understanding of their role and the skills that make them better able to represent their classmates.”
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