Agenda Item No

 

The Vale of Glamorgan Council

 

Scrutiny Committee [Lifelong Learning] 29th June 2009

 

Director of Learning and Development

 

Schools Councils

 

Purpose of the Report

1.             To inform Scrutiny Committee Members on the arrangements to support and develop the work of Schools Councils.

Recommendations

It is recommended that Members:-

 

1.             Note the progress being made on the development of Schools Councils across the Vale.

2.             Request a further report, once the audit of Schools Councils is completed.

3.             Authorise the Director to write to all schools to congratulate them on their work to date and to encourage sharing of good practice.

Reasons for the Recommendations

1.             To ensure Members are aware of progress.

2.             To enable Members to consider the audit report.

3.             To promote the sharing of good practice.

Background

2.             Scrutiny Committee [Lifelong Learning] have requested a report on Schools Councils within the Vale of Glamorgan as part of the Scrutiny Committee Work Programme.

3.             The development of Schools Councils falls within the participation agenda. Participation is a fundamental right, which is set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child stating:-

“Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child” [Article 12, UNCRC, 1989].

 

4.             The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) is committed to driving forward the principles of Article 12 across Wales ensuring that all children and young people aged 0-25 have opportunities to contribute to and have their voices heard in decision-making on issues which impact on their lives.  This has been summarised as “Participation means that it is my right to be involved in making decisions, planning and reviewing an action that might affect me, having a voice, having a choice.”

5.             This commitment has been reinforced in Welsh Assembly Government strategic policies specifically building on the Children Act 2004, where participation has been given a statutory basis embedding it as the basis of all work with children and young people in Wales. 

6.             The Children Act 2004 guidance requires all Welsh Local Authorities and partners to make 3-year strategic arrangements through their Children and Young People’s Plans at Core Aim 5 "to ensure that all children and young people are listened to, treated with respect, and have their race and cultural identity recognised".

7.             To advance participation, WAG have also made arrangements at various levels to ensure the voices of young people are heard.  These include the statutory requirement in Wales through guidance from the WAG in 2006 ‘’ Guidance for Governing Bodies on the Establishment and Operation of School Councils "[Cir No 42/2006]’’.  These regulations set out guidelines whereby young people are involved in the day-to-day running of the schools and development of school policies.  

8.             Developing the pupil voice and strengthening Schools Councils is more than just training the Schools Councils members, it is about broadening the whole school ethos to promote participation. This involves widening all pupils knowledge and ability to ‘participate’ at whatever level they wish to be involved. It would cover the training and knowledge of those who are School Council members and those who vote them in. It is also about training school staff and Governors, to understand the important  role of the School Council.  

9.             The Vale of Glamorgan Council has made good progress in ensuring that Schools Councils have been established in all schools.  However, Schools Councils are at different developmental points. This is a changing field as the voting process brings new School Council members annually or biannually, staff or lead teacher changes can also impinge on the effectiveness of the School Council.  Schools Councils are reviewed by Estyn during its school inspection cycle. Additional support can be accessed through a WAG Schools Council support project which has a website with training materials and School Council information from around Wales.

10.        The Vale of Glamorgan Youth Service has a Youth Participation Officer (YPO) who's remit includes working with Secondary Schools Councils e.g. help with Schools Councils elections, observations of meetings and extra support on request. The officer, has been trained in the delivery of the School Council support pack and also represents the Vale of Glamorgan on a Wales-wide School Councils Network.  Progress achieved includes:-

·               Training has been offered and delivered to support Schools Councils, which includes two whole day School Council training sessions offered to support students and pupils (Jan 2007 and March 2009). Not all schools were able to attend both events.

·               Democracy week events which raise awareness of the democratic process, the voting road show about encouraging students to sign up to vote, ‘I’m a councillor get me out of here’ aimed at raising pupils knowledge of who councillors are and pupils ability to vote on issues, attempt to get schools to synchronise school council voting times.

·               Development of Youth PACT meetings in schools, which allow young people to challenge traditional youth stereotypes, to allow young people to highlight their own concerns about their area and to have an active voice about their area.

·               The recent development of Penarth Youth Action where young people representing various local fora including Schools Councils mirror the local town council in Penarth. The success of such a model will help the development of a Vale wide Youth Council. 

 

11.        WAG has also offered a participation project that provides training through Dynamix for young people in skills such as audit, consultation, recruitment and training. Several schools have taken this up at both primary and secondary level.

12.        The Youth Participation Officer has attempted to visit all Secondary Schools Councils, but not all schools are open to external engagement where they feel that their Schools Councils have been well established and are operating effectively.  The view of officers is that there is further potential to share good practice. 

Relevant Issues and Options

13.        Schools Councils development and the wider participation agenda within the Children and Young People's Action Plan [although an overarching theme for all Core Aim groups], is being led via the Core Aim 5 group.  A key action for the group and one of the first is the development of a "Participation Strategy".  A draft Participation Strategy 0-25 has been circulated for consultation.

14.        The draft Participation Strategy details the ways in which the Partnership will work to ensure children and young people have a chance to be involved in decisions around both their school and community lives.  The strategy has been designed to reflect the fact that partners [including schools] are at different stages of developing their own local participation arrangements.  As a consequence, several of the actions detailed in the strategy are long term.

15.        The draft strategy highlights the need to develop and support primary and secondary Schools Councils structures and to increase pupil participation, motivation and engagement, thus encouraging pupil involvement in school decision-making processes.

16.        Through this development the Partnership would be able to:-

·               Obtain greater consistency in the work of all primary and secondary Schools Councils operating within the Vale of Glamorgan. e.g. election campaigns to vote a new Schools Councils is undertaken in the same time period.

·               Provide a raft of training opportunities and support mechanisms for Schools Councils pupils and support teachers.

·               Enable all primary and secondary Schools Councils within the Vale to share good practice and to collaborate to improve pupil participation.

·               Enable all primary and secondary Schools Councils in the Vale to exercise active links with the Vale Children and Young People’s Partnership, their local fora, community groups and to wider agencies and events.

 

17.         The outcomes and benefits would be:

·               Pupils have the skills needed to participate effectively.

·               More and better support and resources are provided for Schools Councils pupils and teachers.

·               Everyone in the school community feels valued, respected and included thus enjoying school life better and reducing possible school exclusions.

·               Pupil participation is motivating and fun and helps pupils to feel engaged.

·               School policies and services are more effective and efficient if they are planned, delivered and evaluated on the basis of the identified needs of the pupils, with their involvement.

·               School Councils (Wales) Regulations 2006 are adhered to.

·               The school community benefits from changes made such as healthier food in the canteen, better equipment, less bullying, improved behaviour.

·               Pupils access to training packages and opportunities and up-to-date information.

·               PSE targets to empower pupils to participate in their communities as active citizens are possible met.

·               Schools Councils will be better prepared for Estyn inspections.

·               The Schools Councils arrangements make an effective contribution to support the development and attainment of children and promote citizenship.

Future actions

 

18.        Following the consultation of the Participation Strategy, there will be a launch of the strategy to all stakeholders during September 2009.

19.        The Partnership has agreed to utilise an element of its allocated funding to extend support to Primary Schools Councils.

20.        From September 2009, the Partnership will audit progress achieved through consultation with the teachers and pupils.  This will be reported with recommendations to the CYPP by April 2010 in order to inform the development of Schools Councils in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Resource Implications (Financial and Employment)

21.        There are no resource implications arising directly from this report.

Legal Implications (to Include Human Rights Implications)

22.        The obligation to establish and support Schools Councils derives from the Children's Act 2004 and WAG Circular 42/2006.

Crime and Disorder Implications

23.        Engagement of young people in the  work of Schools Councils supports the development of the principles of individual and collective responsibility necessary to deliver the Council's Community Safety priorities.

Equal Opportunities Implications (to include Welsh Language issues)

24.        Schools Councils offer a helpful basis for pupils to appreciate the importance of equality of opportunity.

Corporate/Service Objectives

25.        Schools Councils contribute to the Council's priorities for Lifelong Learning and Community Safety.

Policy Framework and Budget

26.        These are matters for executive consideration by Cabinet.

Consultation (including Ward Member Consultation)

27.        The developments detailed in this report apply across the Council and there has been no separate Ward Member consultation.

Relevant Scrutiny Committee

28.        Lifelong Learning.

Background Papers

Welsh Assembly Government Guidance.

Contact Officer

Mark Davies 01446 709427

Officers Consulted

None.

Responsible Officer:

Bryan Jeffreys

Director of Learning and Development