In democratic societies, children and young people have the right to be heard and not to feel afraid to express themselves. Pupil voice is rooted in the concept of human rights and children’s rights.
In particular, Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) establishes the right of every child to have a say in matters which affect them, whether in or out of school, as well as to be involved in decisions that affect them.
Schools have a key role in upholding this principle.
This module has been developed to support individual schools and Shared Education Partnerships. The module is divided into three key areas:
Why is Pupil Voice Important?
What is Pupil Voice?
How to develop Pupil Voice.
Each of the areas provides partnerships with clear information, guidance and resources on how to identify and develop effective pupil voice and outlines the impact this can have on pupils, parents and the whole school community.
This resource contains examples of Pupil Voice in a school setting, and in a Shared Education partnership setting.
This module aims to:
Provide a clear rationale for why it is important to engage the Pupil Voice in school life
Consider the benefits and challenges of doing so.
Provide a clear definition and understanding of what constitutes Pupil Voice.
Provide a process and resources to support the development of Pupil Voice in schools.
Provide a series of activities to support teachers in their development journey.
The module is divided into three sections which can be accessed using the links below.
A Teachers' Learning Journal, linked to the module activities has been created to support your professional development and reflective practice.
The module is designed to support teachers from all sectors.
Teachers should engage in with content and adapt it to reflect the context of their partnership, school, key stage, pupils and community.
Some of these resources are from other jurisdictions in the UK. However, they should still provide some helpful information on developing pupil voice in schools.