Class meeting questions
A lot of teachers on our Smart School Council Masterclass have been asking us what kinds of questions should be asked across the school through Class Meetings. When deciding on questions to ask, your Communications Team should use these criteria:
- The choice should affect the whole school.
- It should be a closed question (only certain answers are possible).
- It could be a choice where one option will be picked or where all the options are put in priority order.
- It should be something you can start working on straight away.
Of course these questions ultimately should come from pupils and staff in your school but it can be useful to have some to get the system up and running.
- What should the prize be for the winners of our house competition?
- A trip to the cinema
- A trip to the Natural History Museum
- A picnic and games in the park
- A party at lunch time
- A party after school
- How should we broadcast our school radio show?
- During tutor time via the VLE
- Over the Tannoy at break time
- Put out as a podcast on the website
- What new sport would you like us to include in PE next term?
- Basketball
- Rugby
- Volleyball
- We are considering changing the school day. Which of these would you prefer?
- 6 x 50 minute lessons per day
- 5 x 60 minute lessons per day
- Which of these activities would you like us to include as part of Golden Time (we will use the top three)?
- Origami
- Photography
- Reading
- Drama
- Street dance
- Darts
- Which charity should we raise money for this year?
- Mind
- Macmillan
- Amnesty International
- Unicef
- What should we do more of in school?
- International days
- Sports days
- Citizenship and social action days
What questions have you asked in your school?
Any question suggestions from anybody would greatly help me in this initial stage of setting up our smart school council. Thanks
Dave – I’ll add some questions from other primaries and secondaries as we hear about them to give you an idea of what other schools are doing. I’ll just put these in the comments field. Hope things are going well at Oxclose!
Other recent questions that we’ve heard:
What is the best way to improve the school field? Gazebo, sitting area, adobe building, sports equipment.
What should the school include in the new common room? A sitting space to talk to your friends, a sitting space with entertainment like pool tables, another idea that you can come up with.
When it comes to preparation for the world of work, what would you like to get from tutorial time? Interview practice, CV/Application form writing, help with budgeting
What should be the reward for going above and beyond in your lessons? Trips, reward points, electronic devices.
What do you think students should be able to buy with their ePraise points? It’s fine as it is, electronic devices, reward trips, tickets for sporting events
Thanks Greg, I have a meeting tomorrow with the Head again and then I am presenting to all staff on the first Tuesday back for 90 minutes. I will send through my plan when I have done it. Questions are helpful.
Thanks
This big list of areas (taken from http://www.smartschoolcouncils.org.uk/resources/school-council-ideas/) could also help you come up with some good questions:
Behaviour
Support
Conflict resolution
Target setting
Buddies
Monitoring/enforcement
Student Panel
Prefect System
Prefect system based on school council
‘Self Government’ responsible for rules
Policy-making
Code of Conduct
Setting class ground rules – school council ground rules help
Linking local community to school council to deal with after school issues
Head boy/girl oversee prefect system
Rewards and sanctions group
Issues
Due to structure
Involving all students
Power
Money
Time
Influence
Succession
Fears
Is it democratic?
Censorship required?
Getting a representative group
Getting responses completed and handed back
Pleasing everyone
Unsupportive colleagues
Individuals’ ability
Lack of training – school council training here.
Staff
Students
Making decsions
Planning issues
Confidentiality
Realistic/appropriate ideas
Perception issues
Seen negatively by other students
Pupils not on council/identified by badges, ties, etc. might feel they have less influence
Getting people to recognise the importance
Teaching and learning
Pupil interview panels – read more on school council pupil interview panels here.
Students to research attitudes to learning
Peer support
Peer assessment
Peer mentoring
Peer tutoring (reluctant readers)
Student academic mentors
Formal student evaluation
Student SEF
Faculty reviews
Insted (student Ofsted)
Lesson observations by student council
Reviews
Student observers
Students observing rooms focussing on noticeboards and levelled work
Informal student evaluation
Learning walks
Discussion on T&L
Student planning and teaching
Students teaching G&T lessons
Numeracy, literacy and sports leaders
Curriculum planning
Ambassadors for different subject areas
Sports ambassadors
Environment
Eco
Reducing carbon footprint
Students approached governors and got £500 to kick off project
Campaign to use both sides of paper in ICT
Eco council
Huge electricity bill
School eco bag
Sustainability
Recycled stationery shop
Eco bags competition
Built environment
Surveys
Students designing toilets in BSF
Changing the building
Environmental group (outside spaces)
School environment
Sub-committees
New uniform put in place by school council
School improvement
House leaders recognised through their tie and jumpers
Fund raising for school council to meet objectives
Relationship
Staff appointments
Leaders wristbands
Community
Befriender
Attender
Fund raising activities
Enterprise
Anti-bullying (FAB)
Good Citizenship Awards
Peer mentoring
Bullying
Advisors
Student website
Council target setting using SMART targets to measure success
Creating a handbook for new migrant students
Other
Attending governors meetings
Student-led magazine
Tour guides
Representing the school at events
Students helping with SEF
Decorating toilets
Participatory budgeting
Student leadership
Major officials system
1 vote per member of school
Charity decisions
Fund raising
Policy discussion
Anti-racism policy
How staff should deal with racism in class
Pupils running enrichment activities
Whole school celebrations
Black history month
E-safety
Uniform changes
Assemblies
School council
Anti-smoking campaign
Patches