Children from St Patrick’s RC Primary School have a say in how their school is run – and even get involved with interviewing new members of staff.
As the school year came to an end, I was pleased to visit the Walton-le-Dale school and began by meeting the school council. Outgoing councillors Seren, Lily and Zack told me they’d attended governors’ meetings, led assemblies and even visited a garden centre to choose the school Christmas tree.
Other ideas they’d implemented included selling Vimto at breaktime to raise money and, when soft drinks company Nichols heard about it, they had 12 litres delivered to St Patrick’s in recognition of their efforts.
Democracy
The school council also has a say in the clubs provided, including a fencing club, which sounds fantastic. The children explained how some of their initial ideas don’t always become a reality once they’ve explored them further, like one suggestion to buy a bouncy castle for Friday lunchtimes!
The day before my visit, the new school councillors had given speeches on their manifestoes to secure their places on the council, with an amazing 22 pupils standing for election.
Tour
The councillors and their headteacher, Liz Hindley, then took me on a tour of the school, from the classrooms built in 1911 to the new modern additions, including an air-conditioned school hall, which proved invaluable during the heatwave, and their orchard growing golden spire apples.
We then ended in the year five classroom, where pupils fired questions about my life as an MP.
Among all sorts of varied questions, we covered whether or not I’ve met the king (three times) to why I became an MP (to make a difference), the most famous people I’ve met (Alan Titchmarsh, Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson) and which women I admire (my colleague Stella Creasy MP and Elle Woods, the character from Legally Blond).
Listened to
Pupils had written to me earlier in the year about a collapsed footbridge that many used to walk to school and we discussed this too, as well my thoughts on how schools can handle soaring temperatures.
It was a lovely visit and great to see democracy in action, with pupils confident that they have a voice that will be listened to. Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome.
