THE Learning Council is a group of students who represent the pupils’ voice and put forward suggestions to the staff. It works alongside the teachers to suggest improvements or new ideas about the running of the school.

At the start of the year a decision was made by the Learning Council to have house representatives to further improve the communication between pupils and teachers by feeding suggestions back to their tutors and tutees.

Some members of the Learning Council visited Pershore High School to see the vertical tutoring scheme in action. Their feedback from this visit was very positive and the recommendation to adopt the system at Wolverley was then put forward to the senior leadership team and governors, who discussed the idea before implementing it in readiness for the start of the new school year in September 2012.

This year the Learning Council also discussed how we could raise money for charity and came up with the idea of a house charity competition.

The money raised from the competition would be split equally between the three charities which were chosen through a student vote taken in tutor time. The three charities are: Cancer Research UK, Macmillan and Help For Heroes. The Learning Council chose and bought a Charity Cup to be presented at the end of each academic year to the House which raised the most money. This year’s proud winners are Sebright House.

In addition, as reported in last year’s Wolverley Whispers, the Learning Council re-designed the canteen, or the Hub as it is now called. This renovation has made a huge difference to the area, which has now become a stylish and relaxed place to spend time in at break and lunch times. The theme and colours were picked to represent our music specialist theme.

Other key achievements this year include a very successful anti-litter campaign and hosting afternoon tea for visitors, including a traditional English afternoon tea for Mr Sollum from our partner school in Mnara, Tanzania. Members of the Learning Council also regularly give tours of the school to prospective candidates and are consulted on alterations to the school uniform. Our year nine representatives recently visited our local primary schools where they answered questions put to them by the children from years four and five.

Assistant head, Mrs Bourne, who oversees the Learning Council is delighted with their achievements this year. The students themselves agree. Emma Conner and Ashleigh Tye have both enjoyed their time on the council. “It makes us feel we are playing an important part in the school and it gives us an insight into how decisions are reached,” Emma commented.

Ashleigh added “The meetings are always very interesting and lively. We enjoy feeling that we can make a difference.”

  • Taken from Wolverley Whispers school magazine