Scoill Vallajeelt, which has 181 pupils on the register, is the seventh school to secure the benchmark since local evaluators Nigel Bennett (St John’s Primary) and Annette Baker (Ballakermeen High) were appointed in spring 2012.
Schools seeking the award must prove they not only listen to, but act on, pupils’ initiatives.
Vallajeelt’s 12-strong school council collects ideas from pupils in person, via a suggestion box and even via the school’s wiki.
It announces in assemblies the ideas that will be progressed.
In an initiative to improve playtimes, the school council interviewed pupils for the roles of playground leaders, appointing 10 children to wear yellow caps and vests and lead games.
Another idea from pupils that’s been put into action has resolved the headache for school meals staff caused by children changing their minds at short notice over hot and cold lunches, leaving some short of their first choice.
Now ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ cards have been printed and pupils must find someone to swap with if they change their choice.
Fast passes for lunch, another of the pupils’ ideas, means children can bypass the queue to get to lunchtime clubs and activities on time. Attendance at these activities has been boosted as a result.
Pupils also let school meals staff know what’s popular and what isn’t by rating their meals with between one and three stars, an idea that could be extended to other schools.
In the classroom, when a topic is set, pupils tell teachers what they’d like to find out and that is worked in to lessons.
Pupils’ future plans include running their own clubs, organising fund-raising events and running an after-school food stall.
Mr Bennett said that when he visited Vallajeelt to carry out his evaluation, pupils were articulate and polite and showed off their initiatives with pride. The school was ‘already reaping the benefits’ of its approach, he said.
Adrian Shorthouse, Vallajeelt’s headteacher, said:
‘The school council has worked hard to put into practice its imaginative and innovative ideas. Pupil voice is something we value a great deal at Vallajeelt and we look forward to the children maintaining their influence on the continued development of our successful school.’
Vallajeelt school joins Dhoon, Arbory, Fairfield, Ballacottier, Phurt le Moirrey and Michael primaries in being awarded Investing in Children status in the last 15 months. Ballakermeen and St John’s were existing holders of the award, which must be renewed annually.
In one of his first visits to schools since he took up the post this month, Professor Ronald Barr, Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Education and Children, presented Vallajeelt’s children with their award at a celebratory assembly this afternoon.
For more information about Investing in Children, contact Mr Bennett at headteacher@stjohns.sch.im (tel: +44 1624 801282) or Mrs Baker at A.Baker@bhs.sch.im (tel: +44 1624 648700).
Photograph: Professor Barr presents the School Council with its award
