With the local elections just around the corner, the skill needed to successfully campaign, debate and advocate is already being honed at a Derby School.
For many students at Allestree Woodlands School, these skills are part of their everyday lives as they work to make a difference to their community.
The school has four main student committees which represent students on issues including environmental policies, diversity, LGBTQ+ matters and communications.
These all feed into an overarching Leadership Team made up of students, which makes decisions about what suggestions should be put forward to the school’s senior staff.
The committees were set up with support from James Findlay, the History and Politics teacher at Allestree Woodlands School.
“I really wanted students to understand and appreciate the power of politics and that they have some way of having a voice,” he said.
As a result of the students’ work and suggestions, the school has changed its uniform policy to be more inclusive, is reducing queue times at the canteen, changing the menus, has installed more benches in the outside areas and created a garden space to grow vegetables.
For students, being able to see the difference their work is having and knowing that when they speak, they are heard, motivates them to continue.
Emil Algie, 18, is chair of the Leadership Team, a role he had to be elected for and which brings together the various other societies.
He said: “When it was the elections, we did videos to tell people what we would do and that was a really enjoyable part of the process so now, we put videos together to say what we are doing and those are shown to the classes, and I really enjoy that.”
Reducing canteen queue times and reviewing the menu was a direct result of suggestions made by students through a suggestion box which is in the school’s main atrium.
Mr Findlay said: “The student leadership team met with the catering manager following suggestions and questions in the suggestion box around queue times at the canteen.
“As a result, they are reducing queue times, changing the menu and putting together a student survey to shape this.”
The committees also help teach the school about campaigning and voting as each has a chairperson and vice-chair who are elected in an all-school vote.
The chairs must be in the sixth form, and they put together campaigns which run in the autumn term with an election in October. The campaigns include videos, posters and public speaking.
“I think places like the House of Commons could benefit from giving a voice to a difference sector of people. It would be nice to see them engaging with more young people and those from diverse backgrounds.”
Politics students count the votes, and the results are also used as discussion points during politics lessons to look at voter profiles and preferences.
Jonah McDonnell is current vice chair of the Leadership Committee, who also has the secondary role of being the school’s mental health ambassador.
He said: “I like the leadership and responsibility which I think will help me to be a better person. I like bringing together the different ideas of the various societies to see what we can achieve.”
The skill of debating is also honed at Allestree Woodlands School through the Public Speaking Society. Last year, the society won the Derby City Debating Competition which was held at the University of Derby’s Law School.
Juliet Rose, 16, was on that winning team and said the society helps to develop confidence as well.
She said: “You get to meet a lot of people and it builds confidence, that’s the main thing. I think that will help with things like interviews in the future.”
Emma Evans, 16, was also in the society. She said she had been quite shy, but she has enjoyed being part of the committee which has boosted her confidence.
She hopes more opportunities nationally will be given for young speakers.
“I think places like the House of Commons could benefit from giving a voice to a difference sector of people. It would be nice to see them engaging with more young people and those from diverse backgrounds.”
Mr Findlay said he has seen a real growth in the students taking part in the committees in school.
“We started with a handful in the debating team but now we have 20. We have also seen a lot of interest from younger years in the school which is really encouraging,” he said.
During his assemblies, Mr Findlay also talks to students about the links between the democracy they practise in the school and that in the political sphere outside of it.
“I do talk to them about democracy and the way our systems work. My hope is that by seeing the power of using your voice positively to make change in the school, they will be able to use those skills to make a positive difference outside the school.”
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