Mr Ramsey, Headmaster of Whitgift School in South Croydon discusses student voice and how you can really ensure that pupils speak and are heard
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When you?ve been round the block a few times as a school leader, you realise there are some debates which are circular, issues never really to be resolved: short or long lessons, exams at the ends of terms or the start, grading attainment or attitude ? on all of these questions schools I have been in have been round the block and back, and I have come to the conclusion that (whisper it) it actually doesn?t much matter.
There are other issues, though, where the dial really has moved in schools ? good schools, at least ? and one of these is the question of ?student voice?. Whether in giving feedback on lessons or candidates for roles, or in discussing school in student ?councils?, there will be few great schools which simply don?t take student voice seriously. Mine does, though not perhaps as radically as some, and I?ve seen and experienced pitfalls and successes. I?ve always, of course, kept what I have hoped is a good channel of communication with senior students, and I remember I was thought rather radical for making one prefect appointment at the school where I was Deputy Head, entirely elected by the sixth form students. Now we, like I imagine most schools, hold prefect elections, though that voice is only part of the process. We have a school council, naturally, and reasonably widespread lesson feedback; we i...