Pupils' input may impress

Pupils at The Minster School, Southwell, have entered an awards scheme run by Parliament and the speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow.

Students hope their work with Southwell Town Council will lead to success in the Speaker’s School Council Awards.

The Minster School and the town council have been working together to include young people in decision-making processes.

Members of the school council have been co-opted on to Southwell Town Forum, which unites representatives of groups to discuss issues such as town planning and development, and safer routes to school.

Being part of the forum gives pupils the chance to see how they can make a contribution.

Some pupils are helping the town council to decide about the future of the Nottingham Road skate park, which needs repairing due to wear and tear and vandalism.

The students help the town council gain the opinions of younger students, while older members of the community see young people in a positive light.

The project helps students become involved in local issues and gives them an insight into how local government functions.

The school hopes the project will be a long-term collaboration and that pupils will be able to see their influence in future decisions.

Anna Jevons, 16, said: “It gives the feeling that children have a valued opinion rather than thinking that their opinion doesn’t matter just because of their age.

“If we spoke about issues before, we had no way of voicing it and felt no one would take any notice. Now we have better knowledge of how to get your voice heard and know it will be taken on board.”

It is the first year that the School Council Awards have been run. The aim is to acknowledge and recognise inspiring and engaging achievements of school councils across the UK.