September - The children were treated to a School Council assembly lead by Mrs Dixon. During this assembly, the children discussed what democracy means to them and the importance of being able to 'have a say'. The assembly ended with lots of excited children wanting to put themselves forward to be a School Council member and returning to their classes to carry out the voting process.

The School Council Team was announced in our exciting Celebration Assembly with the new members receiving their special hats and a wonderful round of applause from their excited peers!

What our staff think?

"It was wonderful to see the involvement and discussions around the importance of democracy! Seeing most of children wanting to be School Council members brought a lot of excitement to what this year ahead may offer! (Mrs Dixon)

Why is school council important?

"School Council is important to make sure school is safe"

"Ensure every child is doing the right thing and helping each other"

"To ensure the toys are not broken and the equipment is safe"

"To share kindness and help each other to talk about worries"

October - The School council members met to discuss the school Harvest Festival. We spoke about why we should collect food and the importance of helping others. We decided to donate our collection to the Woking Foodbank this year. The members helped Mrs Clarke and Mrs Dixon display all the amazing donations received from our generous school community. Adding to the excitement, this year the school went on mini-bus adventure and handed over the food on site as well as being treated to a tour of the Foodbank.

What our staff think?

"What a privilege it was to see the children actively involved in helping those in need in our local community"

What our pupils think?

"It was good to help others"

"Wow, look at all this stuff that helps lot's of families"

"I loved seeing how it all works"

November - As a school we took in the National Anti-Bullying week and the theme this year was 'Choose Respect'. School Council spent time discussing the importance of being unique and treating others as you would want to be treated...they were even 'slinky linky snakes' at linking it to our Equality value. We embraced the week by taking part in Odd Sock Day, doing classroom activities and celebrating our differences.

What our staff think?

"Wow, it was a sea of colour and pattern as we embraced 'Odd Sock Day' across the school. Remember, to celebrate your special and unique self always"

What our pupils think?

"What a fun day and so great to see everyone in their favourite socks"

"It showed us how different we are but also the same"

December - Our School Council embraced the festive season by thinking about others in local community. They spent time creating and designing Christmas Cards which they hand-delivered to the residents of Charrington Manor. Our visit was full of excitement by sharing Christmas Cards and Carols, this allowed a nostalgic moment for intergenerational relationship building with everyone.

What our staff think?

"How lovely it was to stand back and observe the smiles of joy and the sound of laughter in the room"

What our pupils think?

"We loved singing our Nativity songs to everyone, the were smiling and clapping along"

"We got spoilt with mince pies and a juice"

"One man told us all his teeth were still real!"

January - The School Council has been actively exploring, assessing, and discussing our outdoor areas and school playground. They approached this task with great seriousness and enthusiasm, generating a variety of wonderful suggestions for additions, adaptations, and changes that they believe would enhance our school environment.

During their investigations, the council members shared their ideas with Mrs Dixon and have identified key points they would like to discuss further. They will now invite Mrs Clarke and Mr Parr to a meeting to present their ideas, and they will play an active role in implementing these suggestions.

Some of the ideas proposed include:

• Ensuring that the correct bins are used for food waste and litter
• Introducing a Science exploration area
• Tidying up the bike storage and ensuring bikes are parked neatly

We are excited to see how these initiatives will contribute to improving our school community!

What our staff think?

"The children have taken this responsibility very seriously, and I am incredibly proud of all the fantastic ideas they have put forward. Their enthusiasm and creativity are truly commendable, and we look forward to seeing how their ideas can be implemented!" – Mrs Dixon

What our pupils think?

• “The tepee has a loose piece; Mr Parr needs to fix that!” - Year 2
• “There are lots of leaves; can we get smaller brooms to help Mr Parr sweep?” - Year 1

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February - The School Council recently met with Mrs Measure, our Safeguarding Governor to explore the extremely important topic of safeguarding. As part of their work, the children carried out their own research by asking thoughtful questions to their peers, such as what to do if they do not feel safe at school and how to handle situations when play becomes too rough.

The children confidently presented their findings, demonstrating a strong understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. Mrs X was incredibly impressed by the School Council’s dedication, insightful research, and their commitment to promoting a safe and supportive environment for everyone in our school community.

What our staff think?

“The children were fantastic in today's meeting with our Safeguarding Governor. I was so impressed with their confidence to talk in a group and be actively involved in the discussions!” - Mrs Dixon

What our pupils think?

“I loved sitting in the meeting room, I felt like I was a teacher!” - Year 1

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March & April -  Our music and dance station has quickly become one of the most popular spots during playtimes! The children never fail to impress us with their phenomenal dance moves and enthusiastic singing.

Staff are often approached with song requests, which inspired our School Council to take action. They worked hard to gather song suggestions from their peers, ensuring that everyone had a voice in shaping our playtime playlist.

As a result, we now have pages full of fantastic song requests which have been added to the school iPod. It’s wonderful to see children enjoying music together, expressing themselves creatively, and sharing their favourite tunes with friends.

What our staff think?

“The dance station is my favourite place to be! Thank you School Council for introducing me to so many new songs” - Mrs Dixon

What our pupils think?

“I loved when the whole school sang Golden!” - Reception