Pupil Parliament

We strongly believe that through opportunities to improve and advocate for our school, we will develop students who can not only have an impact on the future of school, but also have a wider impact on the local community and the wider world. To achieve this at St Chad's, we have adopted a pupil parliament model for our pupil voice and leadership. We believe it is vital that all children are welcome, as every pupil brings a unique perspective, experience and voice. By including everyone, we ensure that our decisions truly reflect our whole school community and empower all children to feel valued, heard and inspired to make a difference.

How it works

At St Chad’s, all children are welcome to take part in our Pupil Parliament. With over 150 members from Year 1 to Year 6, pupils choose a department they are passionate about and attend termly meetings to share ideas and help improve our school.

As pupils move into Years 5 and 6, they have the opportunity to apply for leadership roles within their departments. These leaders work closely with staff and senior leaders, raising ideas and concerns on behalf of their peers.

Each department is supported by a member of staff who shares the children’s enthusiasm for their chosen area. They help guide discussions, chair meetings and support pupils in turning their ideas into meaningful improvements across the school.

Why join?

Pupil Parliament promotes pupil leadership opportunities, enabling children to develop valuable communication, organisation and debating skills through key roles of responsibility and new experiences. Pupil Parliament benefits the whole school, pupils and teachers because it provides opportunities for pupils to communicate their opinions as well as influence the decisions that are made on their behalf. 

Past Success

Since introducing the Pupil Parliament model, we have seen a wide range of positive impacts across our school community. Driven by the children’s ideas, departments have achieved the UNCRC Silver Award, improved local road safety by working with the council to repaint parking lines, and organised two highly successful food drives for our local foodbank, including an art installation at Oldham Library.

Pupils have also achieved the Archbishop’s Young Leaders Award, led celebrations such as Diwali Day and International Christmas Day to promote diversity, and introduced weekly pupil voice meetings in every class through Free Chat Friday.

These successes show that when children are empowered to lead, they can create meaningful change within school and beyond.

Next Steps

This year, we will continue to champion pupil voice, partnering with local heroes like Hog Manor and Oldham Mountain Rescue, leading initiatives to boost recycling across our school, and an upcoming art inspired Diversity Day. Next up, we’re aiming for Gold certification in the UNCRC, marking another exciting milestone in our journey of student-led change!