Pupil voice: guidance, resources and examples

Last reviewed on 7 April 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 1017

See how you can develop pupil voice in your school, including principles, strategies and resources. Plus, see examples of how schools have encouraged pupils to engage in school decision-making.

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Contents

  1. Principles to keep in mind to get the most out of pupil voice
  2. Consider these approaches to make your pupils heard
  3. School examples
  4. Resources to help you get started

Principles to keep in mind to get the most out of pupil voice

Have a clear commitment to pupil participation 

This includes to:

  • Make a public commitment about how you'll involve pupils' views and encourage pupil participation across your school
  • Communicate the benefits of it to make sure everyone in the school understands why involving pupils is important

Many schools follow the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to embed pupil voice in their schools. You don't have to, but it's good practice to do so as explained in this archived DfE guidance. See the summary and full convention for more detail. 

You can also work towards accreditation to become a Rights Respecting School.

Support pupil participation

Provide the time, space and resources for pupil participation. For example, organise circle time to discuss issues important to them or gather their views through questionnaires Provide training for staff so they can support pupil participation. For

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