Our School Council Constitution

Representatives and their behaviour and attitude

• Representatives of pupils at the school agree to maintain the highest standards of behaviour.

• A representative may be voted off the council if their behaviour in school becomes a problem.

• Representatives will treat any visitors to the meeting with politeness.

• A representative, once elected, will be on the School Council for one year.

• Once a pupil has been a representative in the school, they cannot stand for election a second time.

Voting and selection procedure

• The Link Teachers and/or Headteacher can vote in School Council meetings.

• All decisions taken at School Council meetings shall be by a show of hands with votes for and against recorded.

• If a vote is a tie, the Chairperson will have the deciding vote.

• Executive Council members will be elected by the school as a whole.

Structures and procedures at School Council meetings

• The agenda will be decided by the Chairperson and Secretary after liasing with the Link Teachers.

• The Link Teachers or Headteacher will have the right to prevent the School Council making a decision that she/he considers is not the responsibility of the School Council or within its powers to decide.

• Minutes will be taken at every council meeting and every decision made will be carefully written down.

• The council must make sure that all people likely to be affected by a decision are informed first and have a chance to comment.

• The Chairperson is in charge of the School Council meeting and has the right to silence people or remove them if they are behaving badly.

• The Link Teachers or Headteacher will have the right to prevent the School Council discussing any issues that she/he believes the council do not have the right to discuss or the power to do anything about.

• Meetings will only occur when the Link Teachers or Headteacher is present.

• The council will invite a wide range of people to meetings to help Representatives to make the best decisions.

• School Council meetings will be held once a fortnight.

• All Representatives may add to the agenda by writing to the Secretary at least one week before the meeting.

Promoting the School Council: Giving the school community a voice

• There will be a School Council suggestion box near the front entrance of the school for anyone, including parents and visitors to the school, to make comments to the School Council.

• There will be a School Council suggestion box in each classroom for children to make comments to their representatives.

• Bi-weekly in PSHE children will have an opportunity to make comments to their representatives and hear a report from their representative.

• The School Council will have a notice board in each Key Stage building.

School Council rights and responsibilities

• The School Council will have the responsibility to make sure that the school buys products from companies that have a good record on human rights and the environment.

• All members of the school community will be informed of the decision the council has taken.

• The council will have the responsibility to help the school become more economically friendly.

• The council will have an account, but can only spend money with the agreement of the Headteacher.

• The council will have the responsibility to think of ways to help the local community become a safer, healthier and more peaceful place to live.

• The council fully supports the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and will always try to address issues which threaten or violate these rights.

What is a School Council?

A School Council encourages pupils to develop:

• A sense of ownership over policy and practice

• A consensus over school issues

• Responsibility towards the school community and the environment

A School Council gives pupils experience of:

• Planning, organising and monitoring projects

• Mediation and negotiation skills

• Basic budgeting and managing money

A School Council helps to ensure that pupils have:

• A safe, happy and fair learning environment

• A forum to voice their concerns and act upon them

• A structured opportunity to learn problem solving skills

• An opportunity to take an active part in the management of the school

• Experience of democratic processes

South Park Primary School's Council consists of class representatives from each class in Years 3 up to, and including, Year 6 and four elected members that make up the Executive Committee.

This means that a total of 20 children meet on a regular basis to discuss and make decisions for the children they represent.