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Pupil Voice

Pupil Voice is recognised as tremendously important for our children and young people and to ensure their voices are heard. We have a genuine ethos of being a pupil centred school, and we strive to ensure our provision meets their expectations.

  • Student Council - This is a vibrant council that meets regularly and informs on many aspects of school life. The council have recently been involved in the appointment of senior staff, teachers and support staff. They have also been heavily involved in improving the lunches, which involved linking up with the Children's Commissioner. Toilets were improved across the school as a result of SC involvement.  Pupils have been in the appointment of the headteacher and recent teachers and were very rigorous in the process! Information from the student council directly informs the Self Evaluation Process. There are councils on both sites- Tonteg and Ynysywbl, which feeds into the main council.
  • Eco Council - We have a vibrant eco-committee which meets regularly on both sites to ensure we manage our environmental footprint effectively. This work has been recognised with 3 Eco-Flags and more recently we have achieved the platinum flag. The school is in the process  of adopting the Parliament system with pupil views from school councils on both sites, eco councils and Criw Cymraeg inputting their views.
  • Young Persons Participation Scheme (YPP) - Pupils in Post 16 are vibrant members of the YPP scheme which ensures they regularly have the opportunity to discuss wider issues that might affect their lives. This is built into curriculum time.
  • Curriculum -  Pupil voice is essential to this. As a starting point, nearly all pupils had the opportunity to state what they would like to learn and what interested them. This formed the foundations of the curriculum design. Pupils are integral to planning the curriculum and offer their input and views through Topic Captures.
  • Pupil Feedback on Learning - At the end of every term, most pupils work with their class teams to discuss what they enjoyed learning about in the previous theme. This information is then used by class teams to ensure that next time the theme is visited. 
  • Parents as advocates - We recognise that some pupils have significant communication impairments which potentially limit their opportunity to play an active role in school life. However, we are 100% committed to ensuring that all pupils are involved in all aspects of school life. Therefore, we are fully committed to using a range of communication support programmes and using parents as advocates to ensure that everyone is listened to.
  • Relationship and Sex  Education & Online -Safety Committees - Although pupils don't directly sit on these committees, many parents do. This ensures that we plan effective and appropriate learning experiences in these key areas to keep our learners safe.
  • Open Door Access to SLT - We are proud that all pupils have direct access to the school's senior leadership. At any time of the day, pupils are the priority and if pupils request to meet with SLT, they are always prioritised.
  • Child Friendly Key Documents - We are in the process of converting all key documents in place across the school into child-friendly formats. This work links closely with Rights Respecting Schools Status to ensure that pupils are in receipt of the key information that affects their lives.
  • 16-19 Learning Options - Pupils in the 16-19 departments have a clear voice in choosing their non-statutory learning options. Following taster sessions, pupils work with their parents/carers to select the options that motivate them most.
  • Assessment for Learning Including Self Assessment - At every point in learning, pupils are directly involved in assessing their own learning. The skills wheel and marking policy link well to ensure pupils are well-placed to assess the effectiveness of their learning.
  • Questionnaires - Pupils are issued with child-friendly questionnaires on an anonymous and annual basis. This information is analysed by the Leadership Team and directly informs the Self Evaluation Process and School Improvement Planning Process.

As you can see, there are multiple systems in place to ensure we have very accurate information relating to the pupil's perception of school. Our absolute priority is to involve pupils in all aspects of school life. This ensures they are well engaged and become active participants in school life.