Exciting new research event in collaboration with UCL Institute of Education

We’re linking up with Isabel Kempner and Jan Germen Janmaat to hear about the findings of their new book ‘School Councils - Democratic Forums or Exclusive Clubs?’

When

Wednesday 6 Sept 3pm - 4.30pm

Where

Who

• Isabel Kempner, Co-author of the research & Research Officer at Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)

• Jan Germen Janmaat, Co-author of the research & Professor of Political Socialization, UCL Institute of Education

• Karen O’Connor, Primary Teacher and Membership Manager at Smart School Councils

WHAT

This research event will be of interest to those concerned with the link between education and social justice, those wanting to raise pupil voice and those looking at a new way of running school councils in their schools.

Youth political engagement is high on the agenda of governments across Europe in the face of a perceived decline in political participation amongst young people.

Join us as we explore the role of education systems in building a fair and democratic society, with invited speakers Isabel Kempner and Jan Germen Janmaat, co-authors of ‘School Councils across Europe’ and Karen O’ Connor, Membership Manager at the charity ‘Smart School Councils’.

Kempner and Janmaat will explore how uneven access to the democratic learning opportunity of being a representative on a school council may be both reflecting and perpetuating political inequalities found in societies across Europe. 

They will reveal the results from a major international survey revealing worrying inequalities based on the socio-demographic characteristics of pupils and how school councils can offer a democratic decision-making forum for students at school, likely increasing the future participation levels of these young people.

Karen O’ Connor will talk about the ‘Smart School Councils’ programme, a pupil-led, inclusive and Ofsted-ready school council that’s designed for time-poor teachers in busy schools.

She will explain the charity’s mission in believing that every pupil’s voice is important and explain how the platform they built makes it easier for your school to run pupil-led, democratic school councils.

Traditional school councils are a great way to introduce democracy to young people. But they often run into the same problems, so we will hear how the Smart School Councils programme broadens engagement to include all pupil voices, increases opportunities for pupil leadership, and provides a scaffold for action teams to propel on-the-ground, pupil-led change at a school level.

We will hear how Ofsted are responding to schools that use the Smart School Council programme and hear first-hand testimonials from educators and school leaders across the country who use the programme at their schools.