At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that every child’s voice matters.

Our pupils are at the heart of our school community. We want every child to feel listened to, valued and confident to share their ideas, opinions and experiences. Pupil voice helps us to understand what children enjoy about school, what they feel we do well and how we can continue to improve.

Listening to Our Pupils

We regularly seek the views of our pupils through:

• Pupil voice questionnaires and surveys

• Discussions with teachers and school leaders

• School council meetings

• Class discussions and feedback

• Collective worship and reflection

• Learning walks and book discussions

• Subject and curriculum pupil voice

• Conversations about wellbeing, behaviour and relationships

• Feedback about clubs, trips, events and wider school experiences

Pupils are encouraged to talk openly about their learning and their experiences at school. Their feedback is used to help shape decisions and identify areas for development.

Our School Council

Our School Council provides pupils with an opportunity to represent their classmates and contribute to the life of our school.

School Council representatives listen to the views of their peers, discuss important issues and work with staff to identify ways in which our school can be even better.

Through this work, children develop important skills such as communication, cooperation, leadership, problem-solving and responsibility.

Pupil Voice and Our Catholic Mission

Pupil voice is an important part of our Catholic school community.

Inspired by the teachings of Jesus, we encourage children to listen to one another, respect different viewpoints and recognise the dignity and worth of every person. We want our pupils to understand that they have both a voice and a responsibility to use that voice positively.

Our approach reflects Catholic Social Teaching, particularly the principles of human dignity, participation, community and the common good.

We encourage children to ask:

What can I do to make a difference?

Pupil Voice in Learning

Children are encouraged to reflect on their learning, talk about what they have learned and identify what helps them to succeed.

We value pupils' views about the curriculum and use their feedback to help us make learning engaging, purposeful and accessible. Through pupil voice, children can share what they have enjoyed, what they have found challenging and what they would like to learn more about.

This supports our school mission:

Everybody Thrives.

Making a Difference

Pupil voice is not simply about asking children what they think. We want children to see that their views can lead to positive change.

When pupils share their ideas, we consider their feedback carefully and, where appropriate, take action. We then share outcomes with pupils so that they can see how their contributions have helped to shape our school.

We want every child to leave St Joseph’s knowing that their voice matters, their contribution is valued and they can make a difference to the community around them.

Inspired by Christ, Working Together, Achieving Our Best.

 

What our learners say: