COUNCILS EYE YORK’S UNIQUE SCHOOLS EVENT

A number of local authorities from around the country will be monitoring a unique conference for primary schools in York with a view to taking up the idea in their own areas. The event tomorrow will bring together school council members from 37 primaries across the city.

The conference, the only one of its kind in the country, is designed to give pupils a chance to share ideas and learn from one another and to build awareness of good practice in other school’s councils as well as strengthening the effectiveness of school councils and encouraging young people to contribute effectively. There will also be an opportunity for those attending to take part in a physical activity that they can use to make their own school a healthier place.

York City Council says there has been a lot of interest in this year’s event from other local authorities who would like to replicate it in their areas. The School Council UK will also be running a workshop at Wednesday’s conference, which has been organised by pupils at one city school – Poppleton Road primary. For the first time it will include a ‘speed dating’ forum to give each school council the opportunity to talk about what they have done well and to form partnerships with others.

Jenny Philpottt the Personal, Social, Health Education consultant at the City Council said this was the fourth time York had staged the conference. “Its success has attracted a lot of attention regionally, nationally and internationally. The pupils at Poppleton Road have worked extremely hard to organise the event and it shows that when young people are given an opportunity to make a difference, they can do it effectively with the greatest success,” she added.