Principle 4: Pupil voice
“Pupil voice is almost like a kind of magic, capable of transforming a whole community” (Minchin – TES).
To make relational approaches work, everyone needs to take part and support them. Research shows that "students have unique knowledge and perspectives that can make reform efforts more successful" (Levin, B, June 2000).
Young people know what works for them and what does not. They can tell us what it is really like to be a pupil in their school.
When schools involve pupils in planning and decision-making, they can create positive change. Pupils can also develop a stronger sense of inclusion, responsibility and confidence.
People define pupil voice in different ways and schools use different approaches to listen to children and act on their views. However, children have a recognised right to share their views, feelings and wishes about issues that affect them. Adults should take these views seriously (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989).
Benefits
Research shows that pupil voice benefits both children and schools. When schools make pupil voice part of everyday practice, children gain more control over their learning. Schools also report improvements in:
- engagement
- behaviour
- attendance
Some schools also see fewer exclusions.
Evidence also suggests that participation can help children build:
- self-esteem
- thinking skills
- social skills
- respect for others
Schools that value pupil voice often report stronger relationships and better wellbeing across the school community. These benefits can help pupils engage in learning and achieve better outcomes.
A strong sense of belonging helps children thrive. Pupil voice plays an important role in creating that sense of belonging.
Challenges
Children are less likely to feel they belong when schools do not ask for, value or act on their views. This can affect their wellbeing and personal development. Research suggests this may have a greater impact on pupils from marginalised groups.
When adults ignore pupil voice, children may feel they have little control over their experiences. This can reduce motivation, increase frustration and make learning harder. Schools that develop a relational approach should think carefully about how they gather pupils' views and involve children in shaping policies and practice.
Many schools want to embed meaningful pupil voice, but putting this into practice can be challenging. Schools can find it difficult to move beyond collecting feedback and turn pupil views into meaningful action. Pupils may:
- feel unsure about their right to have a voice
- lack confidence to share their views
- believe adults do not genuinely listen to them
Staff may also:
- lack confidence
- need more training
- feel unsure about how to support pupil voice initiatives
Schools may also find it difficult to design approaches that match children's stage of development while balancing the needs and rights of everyone in the school community. Guidance from NASUWT may help schools address these challenges.
Shier's pathway to participation
Shier's 5 step pathway to participation (2001) can help schools review how they use pupil voice and identify ways to strengthen it.
Schools should not use the model as a checklist or a point-scoring exercise. The most useful discussions often begin when the answer to a question is "no".
For example, schools can ask:
- should we be able to answer yes?
- what do we need to do to answer yes?
- can we make these changes?
- are we prepared for the consequences?
Using this model can help schools create an action plan and increase children's participation across all areas of school life.
Level 1
Stage characteristics
Listening to children by consulting them.
Key considerations
Think about whether:
- children are willing for you to listen to them
- you work in a way that enables you to listen to children
- you have a policy requirement that you must listen to children
Potential barriers to progression
Things that may hold you back include:
- a lack of ‘buy in’ from all school staff
- tokenistic practices
- children's lack of confidence or motivation to engage
Level 2
Stage characteristics
Supporting children to express their views.
Key considerations
Think about whether you:
- are ready to support children to express their views
- have a range of inclusive and accessible ideas or activities to help children express their views
- have a policy requirement that you must support children to express their views
Potential barriers to progression
Things that may hold you back include not progressing children's views and ideas into meaningful actions.
Level 3
Stage characteristics
Children's views are taken into account
Key considerations
Think about whether:
- you are ready to take children's views into account
- your decision making process enables you to take children's views into account
- you have a policy requirement to give children's views weight in decision making
- whose views you are taking into account - ask yourself if all children are represented
Potential barriers to progression
Things that may hold you back include:
- poor execution of actions
- lack of openness about processes to start actions
- poor monitoring or review of actions
Further information
International human rights legislation and national policies endorse participation to level 3 as a minimum.
Level 4
Stage characteristics
Involving children in the decision making process.
Key considerations
Think about:
- whether you are ready to let children join the decision making process
- whether there is a process to get children involved
- the power differentials in the process and who has the final say about outcomes
- how you fully support children to engage
Potential barriers to progression
Things that may hold you back include resistance to changing the traditional hierarchies of power, from both staff and pupils.
Level 5
Stage characteristics
Children share power and responsibility in decision making.
Key considerations
Think about whether:
- you are ready to share some of your power with children
- what parts of the school or research will it apply to or exclude
- how you will agree it
- how you support children to fully engage
Potential barriers to progression
Things that may hold you back include:
- a lack of ‘buy in’ from the whole school community
- the possibility of conflict
- lack of effective strategies to deal with conflicts
Pupil voice poster
You can download an infographic about embedding pupil voice to put up as a poster in your school.
Pupil voice and participation infographic (PDF, 153KB)References
Engaging authentic pupil voice in schools - Northumbria University Research Portal
Putting students at the centre in education reform - Levin, B, June 2000
Pupil voice - Anna Freud, Mentally Healthy Schools