How the Temple Newsam Learning Partnership Trust School Council is giving young people voice and influence in the city

A child friendly Leeds means children and young people can express their views, feel heard and are actively involved in decisions affecting their lives. The Temple Newsam Learning Partnership Trust School Council is one of the groups giving children and young people voice and influence in the city.

In today’s blog we take a look at what pupil involved in the school council have been doing to make Leeds a better place for young people to grow up in…

The Temple Newsam Learning Partnership Trust School Council brings together a group of pupils from six primary schools and two high schools from across the Temple Newsam Learning Partnership Trust. The school council meet every six weeks to plan activities, events and projects.

Members of the group consult with their peers in schools before meeting, meaning their action plans are driven by children and young people, and that the issues they address are those important to young people. An example of one of the issues that has previously been address is bullying and how to prevent it.

The group have the opportunity to influence decision-making within the local community and their schools. They have recently been involved in the recruitment of new staff members for the Temple Newsam Learning Partnership Trust. Children and young people from the Temple Newsam Learning Partnership Trust School Council reviewed the interview questions and suggested questions of their- with some of their questions being used during the recruitment process!

Projects like this are great for young people, here are just some of the advantages that the Temple Newsam Learning Partnership Trust School Council Council brings for the young people involved and the community:

• Children and young people get to have voice and influence within the community.
• Children and young people are put at the heart of decision making within the Trust and drive future action plans.
• Children and young people learn about the values of democracy, equality, social responsibility, and caring for others.
• The community benefit from issue-based projects which focus on anti-littering, anti-bullying, fundraising for charities, raising awareness of internet safety, and other issues.
• Improved relationships between children and young people, staff, and community members.

A big thanks to the Temple Newsam Learning Partnership Trust School Council for telling us their story! You can find out more about what they do through their Facebook and Twitter pages.

Have you been involved in a community project that lets young people get their views heard? Would you like to see more projects like this? Would you like to start a project your own for children and young people? Why not let us know with a comment below, or drop tweet us at @child_leeds…