'If we didn’t have one, then students wouldn’t have a voice'
'At Markington School we believe that everyone should have a voice, and so everyone gets the chance to be involved in the School Council'. At the start of the year, the students are invited to do a small speech, and the class votes for who they would like to represent their class. This also helps everyone learn about democracy and our British Values.'
The Governors asked the School Council to survey the children to gather some pupil voice.
'We are the voice of the school' (Y6)
'I help people stay safe' (Y3)
'Yes, we feel very listened to' (Y5)
I enjoy my role as Reporter. (Y4)
'One of the first things our School Council did is work to get the writing outside the school repainted. We believed this had to be changed because you couldn’t even see the markings. We decided to write to North Yorkshire Council about it, and it got touched up.'
School Council Makes a Difference
The front entrance to school is very close to the road, and the pavements on Markington High Street are exceedingly narrow.
A little while ago, our School Council, noticing that the yellow zigzag lines around school were almost completely worn off, decided to take action to keep everyone as safe, and wrote to North Yorkshire County Council to ask for repainting as soon as possible.
Last week, their efforts were rewarded when the yellow lines were repainted.
Well done School Council!
Celebrating the Coronation
We have added a plaque and, as oaks live for hundreds of years, hope that the children will be able to tell their children and grandchildren, how we commemorated the coronation of King Charles III when they were at Markington School.
As part of the celebrations for the coronation, we were delighted to win a commemorative oak tree from British Garden Centres.
The Wilberforce family were kind enough to allow this to be planted near a footpath past the cricket pitch and playing field in the village, enabling the whole village to enjoy it. The School Council met with Robbie and Dan Wilberforce (who used to attend the school), and helped them to plant it.
The school was asked by Cllr.Felicity Cunliffe-Lister if they would respond to a survey about the Twenty's Plenty Campaign so the School Council met and discussed this.
In Markington, the children need to walk down the High Street to go to PE, and with the very narrow pavements and heavy farm traffic in the village, the children felt that this was an issue they'd like to support.
After sharing their knowledge with the rest of the school, they voted, and agreed that they'd like to support this campaign, and so respoonded to the survey.
Twenty's Plenty Campaign
'One of the more recent things we have been looking at is '20's Plenty' - which is where the company strives to lower speed limits in villages and towns.
There are lots of benefits to lowering the speed limit such as: it's better for the environment by reducing the carbon emissions by almost 25% ; it minimizes crashes - which is vital in a small village with lots of tractors going past.'
Chair of School Council - Y6
Earth Day
Following a week of assemblies about Earth Day, the School Council took suggestions from the children about how to look after the Earth, and then wrote to the parents via the school newsletter:
'The School Council met and decided to encourage people to re-use plastic and care for the animals. One suggestion was to re-use plastic to make bird feeders - so you will find instructions on how to make a bird-feeder... or a compost heap, sent home today.
We'd really love to see photographs..
Thank you'
Supporting Refugees
In the summer term the Year 6 children read a book about refugees. This inspired us to do more to help refugees. First we wrote to King Charles III to ask him to support changes in the law to help refugees.
When the weather gets hot, the school council sell icecrams, usually any money raised goes to school funds. Despite doing this last year, we felt it would be more beneficial to donate the money to a refugee charity.'
