Pupils at local schools to have more say

Children at two Knowle West schools now have a more active voice to influence the way they are taught and how their schools are run.

Following a pilot last year, Ilminster Avenue and Greenfield E-ACT Academies are two of three schools across Bristol to have an established team of six or seven Associate Pupil Governors each.

They have also just appointed a group of Shadow Associate Pupil Governors who will be receiving training this term to take on the roles in September.

The new Associate Pupil Governors will represent their fellow students and contribute towards making lessons more interesting,  planning and assessing their school’s  progress.

E-ACT Regional Director Stephen Luke said: “Our Associate Pupil Governors have the opportunity to move into areas where they can offer real challenge.  Our school councils spend their meetings discussing issues around playtimes and snacks, whereas our Associate Pupil Governors focus on teaching and learning…

“Our Associate Pupil Governors really know their academies and understand how they can be improved. They portray a genuine sense of ownership and responsibility that will serve them well as they move to secondary school.”

Year 6 pupils have to respond to an advert and go through a rigorous interview process to get the roles – and this is designed to reflect their future life outside school when they start at college or enter the workplace.