As part of Loughton School’s commitment to creating citizens of the future through democracy, active school improvement and opportunities to create positive change, we are delighted to once again introduce our student voice groups as many and varied ways in which our children may have their voice heard. 

All children have now been introduced to the concept of each of our groups and the qualities and skills that we are looking for in the children who wish to take part will be explained to them as well as the commitment expected.  Well done to all of the children who submitted a manifesto. 

 

 

The groups (in no particular order) which fall under the ‘student voice’ umbrella are as follows: 

Eco Champions – open to all year groups (led by Mrs Holliday)

Mrs Holliday: hollidayc@loughton.school

Being an Eco Champion is a fantastic opportunity for children to lead the way in helping our school become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Eco Champions will encourage everyone to make small changes that add up to a big difference, such as turning off lights, recycling carefully and reducing waste. They will also take an active role in looking after our school environment by litter picking, caring for the courtyard and supporting projects that protect nature. The work of the Eco Champions will feed into our school’s sustainability action plan and play a vital part in helping us work towards a greener future. To be successful, children will need to be respectful of our environment, independent in taking action, creative in thinking of new ways to be eco-friendly and resilient in reminding others about their responsibilities. Above all, Eco Champions should be inspired to make positive changes that protect our planet for the future.

School Council – open to all year groups (led by Mrs Read and Mrs McPherson)

Mrs Read: readn@loughton.school

Mrs McPherson: mcphersonc@loughton.school

Being part of the School Council is a wonderful chance for children to represent their classmates and make a real difference to school life. Councillors will meet regularly to share ideas, discuss important issues and help to make decisions that improve our school community and make a real impact (such as last year’s courtyard renovations). This role requires children to be respectful listeners who value the views of others, as well as confident speakers who can share their own ideas clearly. School Council members will need to be independent thinkers, resilient when faced with challenges and creative in coming up with new suggestions and solutions. Most importantly, councillors should be inspired to make a positive impact and work together to ensure every child’s voice is heard.

Loughton School News – open to all year groups (led by Mrs Solloway)

Mrs Solloway: sollowayj@loughton.school

Being part of the LS News team is an exciting opportunity for children to explore and share what is happening across school life. As reporters, they will work together to create a newspaper written by the children, for the children, capturing important events, interesting stories and fun updates each week. Last year, our LS News went digital and this is shared via an online noticeboard called padlet which has meant we can reach more readers! This role requires curiosity and an eagerness to ask questions, as well as strong communication skills to interview people and present ideas clearly. Team members will also need to use their computing skills to write and edit articles during our meetings, making sure the newspaper is both informative and engaging. Above all, children will need enthusiasm, creativity and a willingness to collaborate with others to bring the LS News to life.

Online Safety Ambassador  – open to all year groups (led by Mr Whyman) 

Mr Whyman: whymanb@loughton.school

Being a Digi Leader is an important role for children who are passionate about technology and keeping others safe online. As computing ambassadors, Digi Leaders will help teachers by making sure their peers have the right equipment for learning and by reporting any issues with technology so it can be fixed quickly. They may also be called upon to support friends with their computing tasks, so being reliable and computer-savvy is key. A big part of this role is acting as online safety ambassadors, helping to raise awareness of how to use the internet and social media responsibly. They therefore need to lead by example when it comes to accessing age appropriate videos, games and social media apps.. Digi Leaders will need to be respectful and sensible but most importantly, they should be inspired to use their skills to make school a safer and more effective digital learning environment for everyone.

Reading champions - a year 5&6 responsibility only (led by Miss Hearne)

Miss Hearne - hearnel@loughton.school

We are looking for Reading Champions! If you are someone who has a real passion for books and loves sharing that enthusiasm with others, this could be the role for you. A reading champion enjoys recommending great reads to classmates, looking after the class book corner and suggesting exciting new texts for everyone to enjoy. Reading Champions also spend time supporting younger pupils, helping them to develop their reading skills and may even run fun activities at lunchtime, such as storytelling sessions. Most importantly, they spread the joy of reading across the school by encouraging their peers to get involved in reading events and sometimes even creating whole-school challenges to inspire everyone to pick up a book.

Junior librarians – a year 6 responsibility only (led by Mrs Wilmshurst)

Mrs Wilmshurst: wilmshurstb@loughton.school

Being a Junior Librarian is a special opportunity for Year 6 children to take on responsibility and encourage a love of reading across the school. Junior Librarians help to run weekly lunchtime library sessions, making sure the library is open and accessible to everyone beyond their timetabled slot each week. They will issue and return books, support other children in finding what they need and promote reading across different curriculum areas. This role also involves helping with reading events and sharing enthusiasm for books with others. Junior Librarians need to be respectful and reliable, show independence in managing tasks and be resilient when handling busy library times. They will also get the exciting chance to read and review new books before anyone else, using their creativity and inspiration to recommend great stories to the rest of the school.

Play leaders – a year 6 responsibility only (led by Mrs Martindale)

Mrs Martindale: martindalea@loughton.school

Being a Play Leader is an exciting role that gives children the chance to make lunchtimes fun, active and enjoyable for everyone. Play Leaders will work with Mrs Martindale to organise and run a variety of activities, from small games to larger group games and activity stations. To be successful in this role, children will need to be respectful towards others, showing fairness and kindness when helping everyone to join in. They will also need to show independence in leading activities, creativity in coming up with new ideas for games and resilience when things don’t always go to plan. Above all, Play Leaders should show kindness and an ability to create a positive, inclusive environment where all children feel welcome and excited to play.