Pupil Governorship: initial thoughts and possibilities
Joe Hallgarten Tony Breslin Derry Hannam
March 2004
‘From an early age, pupils provide interesting insights into how their school is working for them, as recognised in OFSTED’s Inspecting Schools: Framework for Inspecting Schools. Governing bodies, in discussion with the headteacher, staff and parents, could seek pupils’ views and engage them in strategic decision-making. For example, they could invite pupils to meetings and committees as observers (excluding confidential items) giving them the opportunity to see how a governing body works and what kinds of issues are discussed. From 1 September 2003 the governing body may also appoint pupils as ‘associate members’ allowing them to attend full governing body meetings and become members of governing body committees.’ (DfES 2003)
Joe Hallgarten
Tony Breslin
Derry Hannam
March 2004
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all the representatives of the schools and LEAs that participated in the first Development Day in October 2003. A list is included in the appendix. We would also like to acknowledge the support of the DfES Innovation Unit who funded the Development Stage, and of the BBC 21CC Learning Centre, who hosted the Development Day. The second stage of the project will be funded by Carnegie UK Trust and Creative Partnerships. Responsibility for this report, however, rests with the authors alone.
Joe Hallgarten, ippr (now Creative Partnerships)
Tony Breslin, Citizenship Foundation Derry Hannam,
Specialist Consultant in Pupil Participation
(Project Director, The Phoenix Education Trust until February 2004)
The Institute for Public Policy Research
IPPR is Britain’s leading progressive think tank. Its objective is to develop new routes to social justice through research and action that influences policy and practice. It works across a diversity of public policy areas but has a particular expertise and reputation in education policy. IPPR initiated the project, is its fund holder and brought the research partners together.
The Citizenship Foundation
The Citizenship Foundation is an independent charity, which aims to empower individuals to engage in the wider community through education about the law, democracy and society. The breadth of experience it will bring to this project includes research into the effectiveness of School Councils, development work on the Learners’ Voice forum for London Central LSC, broader support for young people’s participation through its Youth Act! programme and a long-standing role in establishing Citizenship in the National Curriculum. The Phoenix Education Trust
The Phoenix Education Trust (PET)
A small national charitable organisation that aims to explore and support education in which children are trusted and respected and their participation in decision-making enabled and encouraged. Founded in 2001 by Lord Young of Dartington, the Trust works to highlight the importance of young people’s active participation in decision-making that affects their everyday lives.
1. Introduction
This paper is the report of the first stage in the ‘I was a teenage governor’ project, organised by the Institute for Public Policy Research in partnership with the Citizenship Foundation and Derry Hannam - Specialist Consultant in Pupil Participation, and Project Director at the Phoenix Education Trust until February 2004. It is intended to be used as a practical tool for any school considering the appointment of its pupils as Associate Members of Governing Bodies. The aim is not to be evangelical or prescriptive about the possibilities of pupil governors. Our organisations believe that pupil associate members have potential as agents of change in the education system, but that, until the idea is rigorously tested, it is impossible to assert the merits of pupils governors with any confidence. As this report points out, appointing pupils as associate members of governing bodies without some deeper thought and actions relating to pupil democracy throughout the school could have a worse than tokenistic impact. In this sense, we support the Government’s voluntarist approach: at this stage, schools should be free to decide whether Pupil Associate Members are appropriate for their needs.
Thirteen schools from eight LEAs have signed up to the pilot project, and these schools’ pupils will serve as associate members on school governing bodies from September 2004. Between January and August 2004, the precise research, development and evaluation models will be created in partnership with the participating schools and LEAs
We also hope that the project can become a locus for all ideas and activities relating to pupil associate members. If you have strong views about these issues, if you are a school which is trialling associate governors, or if just would like to be kept informed about the progress of the project, please get in touch. A feedback form is provided in the appendix.
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