Student Voice
Rights Respecting School
In June 2007, Oakgrove became only the second post-primary school in the UK to be recognised by UNICEF as a Rights Respecting School.
This award means that Oakgrove has put the UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) at the heart of what goes on within the school and as a consequence your student voice matters in Oakgrove.
Students’ Council
The College has a Students’ Council in each Year Group which meets monthly. This is made up of two elected representatives from each class. They are the spokespersons for their classes. Comments made by the Students’ Council are carefully considered as we feel the students are very much part of the College team.
Whole School Council
Founded as a child-centred school, Oakgrove is constantly seeking to widen the role students can play in school life. A whole-school council is elected annually using PR voting. The council is based on the UNICEF model and comprises of two representatives from each year group.
The election process mirrors the electoral system used in the world outside the classroom and is part of Oakgrove’s whole school cross-curricular citizenship. All students are invited to register and only those who do so are eligible to vote. Candidates must complete nomination papers and are given help in preparing a manifesto and running campaigns.
The council works alongside the school’s Board of Governors and Leadership Team in helping to ensure that students’ voices are heard. The council is re-elected annually. Councillors are encouraged to seek the views of other students and to consider these in their discussions.
