Meet our School Council

 

Our School Council plays a vital role at St James’ helping children live out our Christian vision, practise key values, and become active, thoughtful members of their community. It gives pupils a sense of serving others as well as a real voice to help them understand how and why they can make a positive difference.

Following their commissioning service, the group meets regularly with their staff lead and truly reflects our Christian beliefs that making great choices helps lead you towards being the best version of yourself. Through the Pilgrims, voted into post by their classmates, every child has the chance to share their views and make choices, all pupils’ know their ideas are respected and considered and children understand they can help shape decisions in their school.

It helps to demonstrate to our pupils that ALL their voices matters.

It nurtures leadership and character.

The Pilgrims Council gives children meaningful leadership opportunities, helping them develop:

• Responsibility
• Confidence
• Integrity
• Compassion
• Perseverance

It encourages children to better understand justice and responsibility

As a school, we actively encourage pupils to stand up for what is right and seek to oppose injustice that they see around them both at school and within the wider world context.

Through the School Council, children learn to:

• Speak up for others
• Notice when things could be fairer or kinder
• Take action on issues that matter to them

This helps them become courageous advocates, agents of change in their school and the wider world. This helps children see that their actions—however small—can change things for the better.

It strengthens our school community.

The School Council builds community by helping pupils:

• Work together across classes and age groups
• Take responsibility for improving school life
• Make decisions that benefit everyone

It helps children understand that a strong community is built on listening, respect, and shared purpose.

 

Our Pilgrims follow the 'The Archbishops’ Young Leaders Award' (AYLA)- a fully resourced leadership and character education programme with strong links to SMSC, British Values, PSHE, Character Education, Citizenship, RE, and SIAMS. For more information follow the link: Archbishops’ Young Leaders Award — National Society for Education

 

 Our School Council is important in our church school because it helps pupils become:

Confident leaders

Thoughtful decision‑makers

Courageous advocates of justice and responsibility

Compassionate, responsible citizens

Active contributors to their community

It brings our Christian vision to life and empowers children to shape a school where everyone feels valued, included, and able to flourish.