Guest Author: Daniel Wilsher
This is the final article of a three-part blog series focusing on the importance of student voice in safeguarding and supporting the wellbeing of children.
In the previous blogs in this series we have taken an in-depth look at how trust and empathy play a key role in safeguarding and the welfare of young people, as well as highlighting a practical example of empowering students voice through community engagement.
This final part provides eight key initiatives for any educational setting to develop cultures and practices that enable all student voices.
1. Make Student Voice Inclusive, Not Exclusive
- Involve a broad and diverse group of students not just high achievers or elected representatives.
- Include pupils from all year groups and backgrounds to ensure a wide range of perspectives.
2. Empower Young People with Leadership Roles
- Let students lead projects and initiatives that matter to them such as charity events, mental health campaigns or community outreach.
- Encourage them to take ownership of planning and execution, not just offer suggestions.
3. Involve Pupils in School Decision Making
- Involve students in school decision making by including them in discussions with senior leadership, governors and staff.
- Actively seek their input on school policies, curriculum enhancements or wellbeing initiatives.
4. Engage Students Through Community Partnerships
- Partner with local organisations (e.g., police, health services, charities) to help students tackle real-world issues.
- Use these partnerships to give students practical insight into social responsibility.
5. Recognise and Showcase Student Impact
- Publicly recognise student efforts and achievements through assemblies, newsletters, awards or local media.
- Highlight how their contributions have made a difference in school and the wider community.
6. Integrate Pupil Voice into School Culture and Values
- Align student voice initiatives with the school’s core values or ethos.
- Promote respect, compassion and service as guiding principles for student-led work.
7. Support Leadership and Skill Development
- Offer training or mentoring to help students develop skills in communication, teamwork and leadership.
- Create spaces where students can safely reflect, plan and grow as changemakers.
8. Measure the Impact of Student Voice Initiatives
- Make sure you keep checking in to see how your campaigns, projects or policies are working.
- Remember, just because something worked one year doesn’t mean it’s going to the next.
Start Small, Start Now: Simple Ways to Launch Student Voice in Schools
Reading all of the information and trying to put it all into practice may seem daunting, but please remember that schools like St. Michaels have now been on that journey for 10 years. All of that started with one action, formalising the group… The rest is history!
If there’s one takeaway for educators reading this, it’s this: spend 10 minutes today thinking of a low-to-no-cost initiative that could help your students feel heard, seen and empowered. It could be creating a digital student feedback wall, hosting a weekly “listening circle”, letting students co-create classroom rules or asking a student to help you improve something in school life.
Whatever it is, start with the easiest win that you think will have the biggest impact and go from there! Because like anything good, it will grow overtime and the whole school eco-system will benefit from it.
Supporting Pupil Wellbeing with
Technology
Student wellbeing goes hand-in-hand with safeguarding, requiring a holistic approach to child protection and welfare to ensure the best outcomes for all young people.
Safeguarding software like CPOMS StudentSafe provides your setting with the tools and data to understand exactly what is happening with each child in your care, from logging attendance patterns to collating all categories of concern in a full chronology.
With this information at their fingertips in the click of a button, DSLs, mental health practitioners and other professionals involved in safeguarding and wellbeing can identify where a student may require support and take action when needed.
StudentSafe also features a wide range of integrations with leading wellbeing survey and student voice platforms including YouHq, BounceTogether, STEER Education and Komodo Wellbeing, providing a clearer picture of each child’s wellbeing all in one system.
To learn more about how StudentSafe can support with pastoral care, child wellbeing and safeguarding in your setting, book a free demo today.
