School Council
Redby School Council - Making a difference!
The Small Change Tuesday collection over the last term was is aid of the ‘Changing Lives’ charity. This worthy cause is a national charity, though it provides services to people in need in Sunderland. Through innovative work they support people to make positive, lasting changes in their lives. They work with people experiencing homelessness, addiction and a range of other problems by reaching out in to local communities.
In addition the charity offers specialist support services for women and families and provides employment opportunities. Three member of the School Council had the opportunity to visit the Changing Lives offices in Hendon, Sunderland. Here they listened to a couple of the staff explain the services they offer to people much less fortunate than ourselves.
The next charity we are collecting for on Tuesday mornings is to eradicate polio by funding vaccinations, in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Great Britain. For as little as 40p, a child can be inoculated against polio. It is hoped that with raised awareness and charity donations, this deadly disease can be eradicated by 2018 worldwide.
The amount of money we collected for Changing Lives was a staggering £187!
In the Autumn Term, we supported Grace House Hospital, at Southwick, and raised £120 for this worthy cause. Grace House provides respite care for very poorly children and their families. We were fortunate enough to have a guided tour around this impressive new building and were shown the very specialised expensive equipment used to enable children to have a good quality of life.
In the early part of the Spring Term we chose to support St Benedict’s Hospice which is situated in Ryhope, formerly on Newcastle Road. This remarkable organisation provides palliative care for very sick adults. Once again a small group of children from Redby were shown round some of the facilities, including the roof top terrace, which assist patients in having a good quality of life whilst undergoing often gruelling treatment. We were delighted to be able to hand over a donation of £141 to this very worthy cause.
The next charity we have chosen to support over the remainder of the Spring Term is called ‘Changing Lives’. More information about this will follow in the next update.
June 2015 – Lunch meeting with St. Benet’s School Council. The councils from both schools met for a working lunch. They shared notes on action in both schools and discussed how the school field could be better utilised during lunchtime. The Councillors devised a rota which both schools now follow.
June 2015 – Action Plan. The School Council have drawn up their own action plan to drive improvements. This has been shared with Senior Leaders and Governors.
June 2015 – Foyer Lighthouse Display. The whole school was asked to think of words linked to school and learning which include the letters of the word ‘Lighthouse’. The Councillors then chose the words which they considered reflect life at Redby. The display can be viewed in the school foyer.
June 2015 – School Assembly. The Council delivered part of an assembly to explain the ‘Lighthouse’ words which have been chosen to make up the display in the school foyer. The ‘Worry box’ was also introduced and explained to pupils. The ‘Worry box’ will be stored in the school library and opened every Friday.
June 2015 – Meeting with Senior Leader. Council met to discuss actions so far this term and the difference they have made. The Council also discussed the Action Plan and reviewed progress. The group devised questions for the pupil questionnaire.
July 2015 – Pupil Questionnaire. School Council to develop a pupil questionnaire to accurately assess how pupils feel about different aspects of school. Council will then analyse data and highlight areas for improvements.
