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Pupil Voice
At Leybourne Chase we recognise a child’s right to be heard (Article 12) and value the children’s views on all aspects of school life where possible. We recognise our role as duty-bearers to ensure that all children feel that they are respected, listened to and valued as individuals and as a collective group.
We teach the children that it is their right to express their thoughts and opinions (Article 13) and that the best interests of the children are a top priority in everything that affects them (Article 3).
How we encourage pupil voice at our school:
Steering group/school council - this is led by the Rights Respecting Steering group, who meet regularly to discuss areas for school improvement or ideas for events. The outcomes from these meetings and regularly published on the Rights Respecting page on the school website.
Pupil Safeguarding Leads - two children in Year 6 are trained to be Pupil Safeguarding Leads. They work alongside children in other VIAT schools and the school's DSLs to support pupil wellbeing.
Play leaders and sports leaders - Year 5 are trained as play and sports leaders. This involves them running games at lunchtimes and organising and supporting school sporting events.
Class assemblies - every term a class produces a class assembly based on a charity that they have chosen to support. The children present their work to the rest of the school and parents.
Pupil Questionnaires - we regularly ask our pupils to complete questionnaires to recognise areas of strength and development within the school.
Anti-bullying ambassadors - we have a group of children from Year 6 who are trained anti-bullying ambassadors through the Diana Award.
Pupil Voice Post-box - following a steering group meeting, we have now placed a post-box in the school where children can post their ideas for events and areas for development. These ideas are then discussed at the beginning of each steering group meeting.
Class systems - in each class, there is a system in place where children can speak to an adults should they feel the need to e.g. lollypop sticks which can be placed on the teacher's desk.
| You said... | We did... |
|---|---|
| We would like the opportunity to be taught by the different teachers in the school. Can we have a day where we go around the classrooms again? |
To celebrate World Book Day, the children had the opportunity to visit each classroom in the school where they completed a different 'book related' activity. |
| We think that lunchtime isn't working when the children in KS2 go outside first and then eat afterwards. We feel like we aren't getting time to play with our friends and to enjoy lunch. | We changed the timings of the day so that the children in KS2 go to lunch first before then going outside. |
| Can we do more house events? | To raise the profile of House Points, we introduced termly homework projects that children can complete. The winner of each project received points towards their house's total. |
| Please can we sort out the playground rotas so that we have a fair amount of time on the playground equipment and to make sure that football rotas are fair? |
The steering group met and put together a new timetable for the playground, including a rota for the equipment and football. The children in the steering group also revised the school playground charter to ensure that rights respecting values are being upheld at all points. |
| Can we have more comfortable areas in our library to read in and can we get more books? | We raised money through various events, including PTA events and Book Fairs, to develop our library space. We have now added new sofas and 'cosy' areas for children to read and have invested in a range of new books for each year group. |
| Can we have more clubs that are on offer from the teachers? | The steering group met with their classes to generate club ideas. These were shared at a steering group meeting and with staff members so that they could use these to help them choose clubs for the next term. |
| Can we have more exciting equipment at playtime? | As part of an ongoing project this year (2024/25) the staff, the PTA and the steering group have met regularly to look at developing our outdoor learning opportunities. The children in Year 6 wrote to local companies and we are in the process of developing outdoor 'zones' to provide engaging and interactive spaces for our children to play. |
| Can we have a day where we dress up as what we want to be when we are older? | Career's fair pending...keep your eyes peeled for information. |
Pupil voice events
- February 2025 - a group of Year 6 children attended a debate at the Council Chambers in Kings Hill.
- February 2025 - Pupil voice surveys conducted across KS2.
- December 2024 - a group of children in Year 5 asked to support Operation Christmas Child. They organised the event, advertised and took the collected shoeboxes to the local centre to be distributed.
- July 2022 - Rights Respecting Questionnaire data indicated that 95% of children felt they can always, or almost always, influence decisions in the school.
- April 2022 - a small group of children took part in a VIAT public speaking competition. The children prepared and then presented a speech surrounding the following topics:
-Dreams -Antiquity -Innovation -Adventure
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May 2021 - Panda class were so inspired by watching about the growing number of cases of Covid-19 in India that they asked to raise money to support Unicef UK in providing oxygen to those areas in short supply. The children are completing a sponsored walk on Friday 21st May 2021 and have also placed donation boxes in the local Costcutter.
- Rights respecting questionnaires conducted in March 2021
- On 30th April 2019 a small group of Year 5 and 6 children presented about the importance of Pupil Voice to NHS England. Read all about it in the following document: NHS Pupil Voice Presentation
