Best Practice

Pupil leadership in action

The importance of pupils taking ownership of their learning and having greater roles within school decision-making is increasingly recognised. Jo Corrigan looks at the principles of effective student leadership and examines the work of pupils at Eastlands Primary on its anti-bullying programme

The term pupil leadership refers to education principles and practices that reflect the importance of providing children with the opportunities and support to play a role in making the decisions that affect them. The principles of effective pupil leadership include:

There is much evidence to suggest that when pupils engage with pupil leadership programmes that have a positive impact their capacity for learning increases.

In order to develop a leadership model which builds upon the knowledge and skills of all pupils within a school, pupil leadership can take a number of forms. These include classroom-based practices, whole-school projects and programmes, and the joint leadership of community-based research.

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