School Council

The School Council meets once a fortnight, in the staffroom, on a Monday afternoon. Meetings usually last about half an hour. On the weeks when there is no school council meeting, classes hold their own class council to discuss items for the next meeting.

Each class has two school councillors, usually a boy and a girl, although this is not always the case. It is up to each class to vote for their councillors. Each term we change councillors – again, it is up to each class to decide whether to change both at the same time or one before half-term and the other after half-term. We think being on school council gives you a chance to discuss things with other children and it is good to let lots of people have the chance to do this important job. The reception children join the school council in the summer term.

Mrs Crown helps the Year 6 councillors to chair the meeting and to write up the minutes after each meeting. Year 6 officers this year are:

Chair – Emma Cogan

Vice-chair – Dylan Emmerson

Secretaries – Charlotte Porteous & Ben Foy

One of the main jobs of the School Council is to decide which charities we will support each year. This term we have already collected food for the People’s Kitchen in Newcastle and had a non-uniform day to raise money for our two sponsored children in Africa – Azizou in Niger and Loreen in Uganda.

We also try to solve any problems that children have at playtime or dinnertime. Often this just means we have to remind people of the playground rules and the Golden Rules.

If you have something you want us to discuss at School Council please tell your class councillor.

Cragside School Council Report 2010/11

The school council have enjoyed another successful year, working well together to discuss issues of importance to children in the school.

Charity fundraising

We have continued to support and communicate with our two sponsored children – Azizou in Niger and Loreen in Uganda. Most of the money needed to support them has been raised from non-uniform days.

In September a number of children voiced an interest in raising money for children in Pakistan following the terrible floods. We decided on a sponsored Spellathon and raised over £3000!

In October we supported Jeans for Genes as we decided last year to alternate our Autumn fundraising between this charity and the People’s Kitchen. School councillors watched a dvd about genetic diseases and passed information back to their classes to help raise awareness.

In the Spring Term school councillors played a big part in our Comic Relief effort – selling Red Noses around school and helping class councils to discuss and arrange their own fundraising efforts. We set ourselves a target of £1000 and managed to raise over £1200!

Policy review

In December we reviewed the Anti-bullying policy, first in school council and then in class councils. We were happy with the policy but thought it was important to remind everyone about it every year – probably in Anti-bullying week each November.

Playground equipment

We ran 4 stalls at the Christmas Fair and the PTFA doubled the money we raised, giving us a total of £232. We spent the money on a large chalkboard and a giant Connect 4 for the quiet area.

Pupil Voice

When Mr Howard started his ‘Top Table’ people told us they would prefer it if they could take a friend. Mr Howard agreed with us and this was changed.

We decided to design new posters for the dinner hall when people told us that they were ignoring the old rules on the tables.

Peer mentoring

School councillors are keeping notes on anyone who continues to break playground rules. If the same names are reported 2 meetings in a row then that person is given a warning. If their behaviour does not improve they have to come and explain why to the school council at the next meeting. (So far only 2 warnings have been given.)