Student Voice and College Council
We are constantly looking to build upon the successes and improve communications with the student body. It has been another great year for the Student Council! We wanted to produce a new structure that empowered all students and strongly reflected the House system including our new fifth House, Seacole!
Students have created an open forum that has a positive and lasting impact on student life at Ely College. Following a successful student-led uniform consultation, working with student and parents alike, as well a host of successful charity and fundraising events, we are set to go from strength to strength!
Who makes up the College Council?
Every tutor group has a nominated Student Voice Representative. Their role is to hold discussions within the tutor group to get ideas around aspects of school life and school improvement. The Student Voice Representatives takes these ideas directly to their House Council meetings as House Representatives or pass them on to one.
Each house has House Reps who facilitate and minute the house council meetings, write a house based articles for the College newsletter and organise a team of students from their house to help with events and charity work.
The House Reps and the Student Ambassadors also meet to form the College Council. They meet regularly to discuss issues and they feedback the solution to their houses and respective form groups.
Student Ambassadors are Year 9, 10 and Year 11 students who run whole school projects and the newly formed sub- committees. These sub-committees periodically meet in partnerships with Senior Leadership Team who attend these meetings and action the outcomes decided by students. Student Ambassadors will also represent the school at evening and external events. Essentially this role offers a choice, of being a whole school leader compared to the house based leaders.
Students are invited to apply in writing for the roles of House Reps and Student Ambassadors. Following an interview process, they are selected for these roles. Student Voice Representatives are voted to position each year by their forms.
You said... we did!
-
In previous years, priorities for the Student Voice have been:
-
Uniform
-
Rewards and Behaviour
-
Environment
-
-
Feedback has now been received on these issues, and revised priorities and plans are:
-
Rewards
-
Charitable events
-
New council structure and priorities centred around the sub committees
-
The Covid pandemic brought with it a new set of issues and we worked with our young people to ensure their concerns were heard:
-
'You Said'...
-
We want to feel ‘Covid Safe’ at College
-
We would still like access to the library
-
We still want to have contact with our form tutor
-
We are concerned about our friends mental health
-
-
... so 'We Did'.
-
Introduced zoning for each year group
-
Created a pop-up library in each zone
-
Weekly group form time established
-
Helping hands email address launched
-
"Student Voice, Student Leadership, Student Impact"