Guidance

Pupil Participation Guidance: Working Together - Giving Children and Young People a Say

This guidance provides a basis for involving children and young people in decisions affecting all aspects of the life of the school. It includes examples of good practice for schools to use and adapt as they choose.

It supports pupil involvement and personal development through opportunities that already exist in citizenship education, personal, social and health education and in other school activities, for example the National Healthy School Standard (NHSS) and the Connexions service. Ofsted also now gives pupils opportunities to give views about their education as part of the inspection process. It also supports Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which gives children the right to put forward their views and ensures that those views are taken seriously.

The guidance document includes a pull-out poster (available as a separate download) which provides a useful checklist for effective participation. The material is designed to be used by all staff in primary, secondary and special schools in England. It includes sections on defining pupil participation and its benefits, key principles to underpin practice, the role of the governing body and a checklist to ensure effective practice.

Download or order your guidance on pupil participation from Online Publications on Teachernet.

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