Pupil voice

Making school less 'schooly': what's the impact on student attitudes?

Aim: Over a period of several years, we set out to transform the ethos of our school. Our hypothesis was that this could raise pupils aspirations and attainment. Adopting a range of strategies, we looked to change the attitudes of staff and pupils towards learning and the learning environment. Our sense was that there was no reason why schools have to feel 'schooly' with no toilet paper and graffiti. We aimed to create a school where we knew students by name and where adults routinely had conversations with youngsters.

Whose voice is important in decision-making in the primary school?

Aim: This study set out to use action research to implement approaches aimed at increasing the participation of children and teachers in making decisions about their own learning. We intended to investigate the potential of these strategies to give greater responsibility, involvement and ownership to those in the classroom, and to explore the role of leadership.

Developing student leadership in a networked learning community

Aim: This summary first reports on the pilot work undertaken as ESRC Project Breaking New Ground in the Geography, History and Religious Studies departments at Rivington and Blackrod High Schools with KS4 students. The initial research prepared the way for what has now become a borough-wide student voice movement entitled B.L.A.S.T. (Bolton Listens As Students Talk) under the Networked Learning Community banner. The schools subsequent involvement in this project is also reported.

Students As Researchers: How does being a student researcher affect learning?

Aim: From 1996 the school had tried to establish a Students as Researchers (SaRs) initiative to enable students to investigate, analyse and present student perspectives on aspects of school life and learning. This study records the attempts to evaluate the impact of participating in such research projects on the students learning. The aim of the research was to evaluate the impact of participating in such research projects on the students themselves in terms of: Their attitude to the SaRs initiative; Their social skills; and Their academic skills.

Effectively supporting students' transition into AS level study

Aim: The aims of this project were twofold; Ensure teachers in an 11-16 school understand the transition to AS Level from students perspectives in order to support the process and reduce drop out rates ; and Develop students from an 11-16 secondary settings understanding of skills, attitude and level of independence required for success at AS Level study.

Does the development of 'pupil voice' activities enhance young learners' experience of school?

The research aimed to address the following questions: Can the development of pupil voice help move a school from a performance driven culture to a pupil-centred learning culture? Do pupil voice activities enhance teaching and learning? Does the growth of pupil voice activities have a positive or negative impact on staff?