Bath Student Parliament
This project is about giving pupils a voice on global and local issues, a chance to build friendships across our wider community and an understanding of how to shape change in the world around them.
Aims
The aims are to bring pupils together from across the Bath community to share ideas and develop a vision for action on matters of priority for them.
Over the past 18 months pupils have expressed feelings of isolation, powerlessness and uncertainty. This initiative is about building lasting connections and rebuilding a sense of confidence that young people can make themselves heard and can shape change.
The early stages of developing this parliament have been led by a joint pupil team from Monkton and St Gregory's. Both online and in person, we have set out an ambitious plan that will involve over 11 schools in Bath working together on a wide variety of initiatives.
Background
The opportunity was identified through a meeting of the Bath Heads and prioritised as something that will be impactful in terms of empowering our pupils to reach out, communicate and problem solve together as they emerge from the pandemic.
Resources
Critical to the success of this project will be the support and facilitation of all the school partners in the longer term. Committing both time and funds to the initiative will mean that it can become established and begin to make tangible changes.
Currently the meetings are rotated between the school venues. Teaching staff from each school support the pupils in planning and logistics but it is pupil led. The parliament is due to meet in full at least once every term, but sub-committees will be established and function in between the formal meetings.
Impact
There has already been a qualitative impact in terms of the creative and positive connections that pupils have made, and the sense of momentum and optimism as they plan for the formal launch of the parliament in the autumn.
Anecdotal evidence shows that pupils were delighted to be able to meet in person, to visit each other's schools and to share their experiences of the past year and a half in particular. They frequently observed that they had never met pupils from these other partner schools, or had the opportunity to understand their priorities and lives. They were surprised to find that they had many deeply held values in common. Even in the early planning stages we are seeing barriers and preconceptions being broken down.
In terms of quantitative assessment, the vision for the parliament will be finalised in September and it will then be possible to track measurable outcomes against their aims.
Pupil Involvement
Currently there are two pupils from each school who are committed to attending all planning meetings and are part of the working group. Off the Record have also provided pupil volunteers to help shape the initiative. These pupil groups are supported by a core working group of staff from across the range of schools, and Off the Record staff. So far these pupils have been selected from year 10 to year 12.
The vision of the parliament is to ultimately include much greater numbers from across each school.
Frequency
This is an ongoing initiative involving regular meetings each term. The vision is that this will become established as a long term mechanism for pupils to ensure that they are heard and play their part in shaping positive change for the community and wider world.
