Pupil Participation
At The Manor Field Schools we value pupil participation. Across the school, children are encouraged to make a positive contribution. This might be through taking on one of the many school responsibilities. We believe that by giving children the opportunity to apply for and take on roles of responsibility, we are helping to prepare them for the world of work. In addition, by actively promoting pupil participation, we are helping the children to engage more in their learning and in school life.
Infant School
Little Stars School Council
The Little Stars Council of Manor Field Infant School are the representative voice of the pupil body – they are elected by their peers to raise issues, make some whole-school decisions and improve the school for all the pupils.
In addition to representing pupil voice, Little Stars Council members act as ambassadors for Manor Field Infant School. They might play a part in greeting visitors or welcoming new pupils, or they might be a representative of the school and its values on external visits (such as the annual Cranbourne Conference). As such, Little Stars are expected to be a reflection of Manor Field’s Star Values and be an example to others by demonstrating those values and modelling expectations around school.
The Little Stars Council group is made up of a boy and girl from each class – 12 children in total. In the Autumn term each class elects their representatives through a secret ballot.
As part of this process each class discusses the purpose of the Little Star group and the process and importance of a democratic election. Emphasis is placed on the traits needed to be a successful Little Star – respectful, fair-minded, a confident speaker, someone who will represent the views of their classmates.
Individuals are nominated by their classmates and from this a shortlist is created. The children are then given that shortlist to vote from and the Little Stars Council members are elected, before being awarded their Little Star caps in a special assembly.
Junior School
EARA - Equality and Rights Advocates
The Equality and Rights Advocates (EARA) have been selected by their peers to promote the Equality Act (2010) and the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
EARA believe pupil voice is essential to ensure participation and engagement from all members of Manor Field. They have agreed to work as a team, together with the whole school community, to celebrate difference, take action against discrimination and prejudice, and promote equality and rights.
Environment Team
Working together, a team of pupil, staff and governor representatives help to improve the school’s global footprint. We aim to raise the school’s awareness on environmental issues, and look for things the school can do to become more environmentally friendly. Through our work, we also aim to involve the local community and help to raise awareness on topical issues for the area. At least once every half term, the team meet to discuss any issues and suggest next steps for the school. As a member of the GreenSchool’s project, we gained our Bronze award certificate in the Summer term 2014 - and are currently working towards our Silver award certificate.
Each class in the school votes for someone from their class to represent them on the team for a year. During the meetings, the year 6 members are supported in leading topics of discussion and making decisions about what needs to be done. Part of our action plan last year involved the purchase of a bird feeder, in order to attract smaller birds to our grounds.
Librarians
Without the library team, overseen by Miss Byrne, the Manor Field Library (our Mocktail Bar) would not be as organised and well run as it is today! The team assist during quiet reading time to help other pupils with their book choices; keep the shelves organised and tidy; share their favourite book titles with others. The library team gives some of the younger pupils a great opportunity to take on an important responsibility in the school.
Lunch Leaders
In year 6, the children have the opportunity to apply to be part of the Lunch Leader Team. The children work in small groups to plan and run a lunch club during Friday lunchtime.
Some of the current clubs are:
- Dance club
- Gardening club
- Computing club
- Creative club
- Football club
- Manor Monkey Trail club
- Woodland Walk club
Lunch leaders help to develop positive play and expand children’s creative skills.
School Community Relations Team
At the beginning of year 6, pupils are offered the opportunity to take on one of the most important responsibilities in our school – to become a member of the School Community Relations Team (SCRT). The children use their knowledge of our school to give visitors tours and organise events such as our annual Easter Egg Hunt. In addition, children from the SCRT are often involved in the recruitment of staff.
As the role models of our school, the team always take great pride in their role and consistently show motivation.
School Council
Each year, the school council is elected democratically in the autumn term as part of our ‘Democracy week.’ Children who wish to be on the school council have the opportunity to persuade their class that they are the best person to represent them. Every class elects one boy and one girl as their class representatives on the school council. The Year 5 and 6 councillors then run for chairperson, supported by a campaign team to persuade people to vote for them. At the end of the week, the whole school community votes anonymously for the candidate they believe should be chair.
The School Council meet regularly in the Pupil Conference Room to discuss suggestions from the school community, share ideas and make decisions.
The School Council also participate in the local cluster 'School Council Conference', the themes have included 'Diversity'; and 'Going Green'. The key discoveries and key messages are always shared with the whole school.
Young Interpreters
Using language skills, qualities and training, Young Interpreters help children who are new to English and their families feel welcome and settled in our school. It also builds the confidence, communication, and leadership skills of the Young Interpreters. The scheme values multilingualism and celebrates students' skills.
Young Interpreters can be bilingual or monolingual, promoting empathy among English speakers for the challenges new EAL students face. They use creative strategies from their training to support their classmates.