Background
We want every young person in Wales to know about their rights, and to experience their rights.
All young people have rights. They are written in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
One of the rights says that all young people should have a say in the decisions that affect them.
This means that all young people need to have the chance to share their views and be listened to.
In Wales, every secondary school must have a school council. This is one of the ways young people can have their say on what happens in school.
What we did and why?
In 2018 we asked almost 7000 children and young people to tell us if they felt they were getting all of their rights.
One of the things we learned is that children in primary schools, and special schools, felt more able to have their say in school than young people in secondary schools.
Our team, and our young people’s advisory panel, decided it was important to find out what could make more young people feel like they were having their say in secondary school.
We did this by doing more surveys and meetings with pupils, teachers, and governors, and other groups across Wales.
Reports (all PDF)
AMPLIFY – Young people’s report
AMPLIFY – Easy read report with symbols
Resources
Top Tips for a great school council, written with young people (PDF)
Top Tips in easy read with symbols (PDF)
Participation: How? What? Why? A guide for teachers (Word)
Make a Difference: A young person’s guide to taking action
Case studies
Our reports and resources include examples of excellent work from school councils across Wales.
On top of this, we’ve made a video with Cowbridge Comprehensive school council, who explain more about some of the brilliant work they’ve done.
We’re also pleased to share a video by Little Voices, who’ve worked with Crownbridge Special School to show how their school council is raising awareness of some of the issues that matter to them.
Cowbridge Comprehensive school
Crownbridge Special School