St. Edmund’s is a pilot school for Portsmouth City Council’s Hear by Right initiative which aims to empower young people across the city to make their voices heard in a positive manner in order to improve youth services in the future.

Tim Stokes arranged for the first meeting to be in the new Liquid & Envy nightclub.  After an impressive show of lights, music and projected pictures, 23 pupils worked hard on Hear by Right’s 7 standards.  They didn’t have to work quite so hard to ‘demolish’ several pizzas and lemonade!

A follow-up meeting was held in the LLRC on 5th March.  Mrs O’Mara shared her thoughts and ideas with Tim Stokes and pupils brainstormed their ideas for putting their 7 priorities into action.  There was time to discuss only one of the standards and another meeting will be needed to complete the initial process.

However, pupils are planning to investigate the possibility of a forum attached to the school’s website, suggestion boxes in every tutor room and more regular school council meetings to discuss the many ideas which pupils expect to be forthcoming.

Watch this space for more information about pupil voice and Hear by Right.

J. Sage

HEAR BY RIGHT

Pupils were pleased to see that their ideas and hopes had been included in the School Development Plan for 2008-9.

There was a follow-up meeting on 14th October to see what other progress needed to be made following the meetings in the last academic year.

HEAR BY RIGHT MEETING

14TH OCTOBER 2008

2.3

1. Pupils waiting for a date from Mrs O’Mara re: Working Party for reduction of School Development Plan – now arranged for 8.45 a.m. on 4th November.
2. Concerning suggestion boxes – it will be difficult for some tutor groups because their tutors do not have their own rooms – still worth trying!  Hannah, Faye, Shannon, Rory, Martyn, Will, Joe and Bailey will all make boxes before half-term.

3.3 & 3.4  
Pupils pleased by progress.

6.7

1. Staff and pupils have started planning together.  Pupil Learning Councils have met for several subject areas and comments have been taken on board. 
2. Pupils would like to be in on the discussions about who is actually chosen for jobs following their work as one of the interview panels.

Priorities
1.5
JHS to talk to MH – Rory, Bailey, Martyn and Joe to form a Working Party to discuss creating a ‘contract’ for staff and pupil commitment to listening to each other.

4.1
JHS to talk to MH – Working Party (Faye, Shannon, Hannah, Will and Martyn to talk about rewards and sanctions.

6.7
Pupils suggested that half to one lesson should be set aside for class discussion at the start of each 6 weeks to decide how the module might be delivered.

2.3
JHS to consult on CPSHE next year before submission.
Questionnaires and on-line forum should become possible once the VLE is up and running.  .
Can the whole SDP and the summary be on the internet?

5.1
Pupils should be invited to staff meetings to explain their points of view and to contribute to discussions.
Pupils should make a presentation to assemblies about Hear by Right – volunteers = Hannah, Faye, Shannon, Rory, Martyn, Joe and Bailey

7.5
VLE may enable pupils to contact teachers by email.

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On December 1st, a group of pupils will be going to the Dame Judith Professional Centre to introduce the Hear by Right concept to organisations across the City.  More information to follow.

Meeting - 25th March 2008 - LLRC

Tim Stokes had not seen my email message and did not know that I had confirmed the meeting that we had proposed previously.  Unfortunately, he had taken all the material from the meeting on 5th March.  Tim suggested that I see what pupils could remember from previously and try to elicit some ideas for actions that they could initiate.

Pupils who arrived for the meeting:

Pupils remembered that they had been discussing ways of making their voices heard more easily:
Suggestion boxes in each tutor group – pupils representing 5 tutor groups agreed to make boxes before the end of term; others agreed to make boxes for ‘neighbouring’ groups.
Internet forum – “shout box” – ideas need checking before they go public.

Being able to talk to staff and the head:
A school message system enabling pupils to contact staff via email (similar to that at Priory) – to permit questions/ ideas/ suggestions/ seeking information.
PSHE lessons provide an opportunity for pupils to discuss with their tutors (although some are more accessible than others!)
Pupil Learning Councils – pupils have made suggestions but have not found that they have been put into action.

Student surveys were generally considered to be a good idea provided not too much time was spent on them.  Pupils have recently been questioned in history and French e.g. what have you most enjoyed? What can be improved?
Pupils in Years 7 and 8 have asked for more ICT in history – CMC will implement it this year; JR has agreed to write it into next year’s scheme.
Pupils in Year 8 French asked for more group work and this has been introduced.
Pupils also asked for a qualified ICT teacher and one is to be appointed for next year.

Letting everyone have a voice:
Suggestion box as above;
Teachers should talk to those pupils who tend to get left out;
School radio/ tannoy system to be used as breaks and lunchtimes by staff and pupils.
It was suggested that pupils should meet with Mrs O’Mara more often: however, School Council is an official way of considering information and passing it on to the Head.
Could pupils have a page in their diaries which tutors could check when they sign diaries: there could be tear-off slips which would allow tutors to collect the ideas.

It was also felt important that pupils on School Council should be prepared to work.  Pupils suggested that there not be elections next academic year.  Pupils who were willing to go forward would write their name down and tutors would select pupils that they knew would work hard.  But some concern was expressed that certain tutors always chose the same pupils for jobs.

Another meeting will be required with Tim Stokes, Mrs O’Mara and other senior members of staff to pursue the pupils’ ideas and intentions for Hear by Right.

N.B.   Mrs Sage is to attend a meeting with Tim Stokes and other organisations trialling the Hear by Right process at the Civic Offices on Wednesday 26th March 2.30 – 4.30 p.m.

Meeting - 5 March 2008 - LLRC

Tim Stokes reminded the pupils and Mrs O’Mara of the organisation of the session at Liquid & Envy and of the standards that they had discussed and the individual statements they had chosen as priorities:

Structures – There should be a clear agreement about adults listening to what we say
Strategies – How is the plan going and where do we go next
Scaffolding – Everybody is included especially those that usually get left out
Systems – Rules about how we can join in (participate) safely and fairly
Staffing – Staff know how to help us take part and they think it is a good idea
Skills – Pupils get lots of help to take part in different parts of the school
Boss – Lots of ways to meet and influence the Head and other decision makers

Pupils spent time brainstorming ideas for how their 7 strategies might be implemented at St. Edmund’s School.  Meanwhile, Tim Stokes discussed the staff’s potential contribution with Mrs O’Mara.

At approximately 3.30 p.m., the group came together again and Tim began a discussion on the first standard – Shared values: There should be a clear agreement about adults listening to what we say.
Pupils discussed the ideas which had been written down: adults need to be made aware of what we think; suggestion boxes in every tutor room rather than just one in Reception; suggestions to be collected regularly by tutor group reps and discussed more frequently with School Council; forum on the internet.  Plus the need for teachers to have time when pupils can talk to them.  Cover teachers should start lessons with a starter which would enable them to get to know the pupils in the class.
Actions = forum on internet; message boxes; more regular school council meetings.

Mrs O’Mara had to leave the session but Tim presented ideas that she had suggested during their discussion together:

1. There should be posters around school advertising “Hear by Right” which emphasise listening, respect and participating.
   
   
2. A Working Party (comprising staff, Governors and pupils) should rewrite the School Mission Statement to include the fact that St. Edmund’s considers it important to listen to the pupil voice
   
   
3. There is a behaviour code for pupils.  There should be a staff behaviour code or charter: “As staff we will do our best to: Listen to young people” etc. One pupils suggested there might be distinctions and detentions for teachers who got it right or wrong

Tim asked about the role of Pupil Learning Councils.  Not one of the pupils still present at the end of the meeting knew what these were.  There is obviously a need to get the message out!

The pupils were full of bright ideas and only had time to discuss the first standard.  A follow-up meeting will be arranged for 25th March from 2 – 4 p.m.  The LLRC has already been booked.

(c) 2007 St Edmund's Catholic School, Arundel Street, Portsmouth, PO1 1RX / Tel 023 9282 3766 / school@saintedmunds.org.uk