Student Forum 

This week and next Tuesday a group of students were invited to join two of our staff meetings to discuss student agency and empowerment as well as student wellbeing. Staff listened and shared ideas with the students who represented the wider student community. Staff and students worked together to think about how we can further improve our student voice at the school. The students were extremely positive and insightful.

Student agency is when students are empowered to have an active role in making choices and decisions that shape their learning, wellbeing and experience of school.

Research shows that student outcomes improve when students are actively involved in decisions that affect them. When students are involved in setting goals, identifying adjustments and personalised planning, students are empowered to:

• Develop a stronger understanding of their strengths and how they learn.
• Identify the goals that are important to them.
• Advocate for the adjustments that they are most comfortable with.
• Feel a sense of their identity, value and belonging within their school community.
• Be more motivated, satisfied and successful in their learning

Student empowerment means giving students the ability to not only have a voice and share their thoughts and ideas, but to believe that their voice can lead to positive change. 

Questions discussed:

What helps students to learn well and join in at school?

What do students like about their school?

What makes students feel safe at school?

What can teachers do to help students get along well?

What can students do to make the school friendly and inclusive

for all?

What do students think works well with student leadership at our school?

Thank you to our student leaders who were involved.