Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School first established a School Council to represent the students in 1930. This makes the school something of a pioneer in 'Student Voice' long before the idea became fashionable. Some 80 years on, the school remains committed to encouraging our students to be active citizens of the school community.

The School Council is elected at the beginning of each academic year on the basis of 'one student, one vote' on an all-school election day.

The School Council is chaired by the Head Girl. The other 16 members include 3 representatives of each Year Group 7 to 11 and one Sixth Form representative who also acts as School Council Secretary. There is a designated member of staff with responsibility for making sure that there are good contacts between the School Council and the staff.

What is the role of the School Council?

The School Council:

• Meets once a fortnight.
• Represents students and gives them a voice in how the School is run.
• Enables students to identify issues that concern them about the School and to communicate those concerns to teachers and school management.
• Has an input in the drafting and implementation of new school rules and policies.
• Gets to question the Head Teacher at regular question and answer sessions and liaise with the local Police on issues affecting students.
• Runs campaigns on particular issues such as recycling or other general issues in the School.
• Runs a Students as Researchers programme.
• Provides an opportunity for students to acquire valuable citizenship skills and to contribute to the school community.

What is Student Voice?

Student Voice is an intrinsic part of our on-going efforts to maintain the outstanding quality of teaching and learning across the School. Students meet on a weekly basis as part of a voluntary forum. At Student Voice meetings we discuss matters of whole school and year-group concern, helping to generate the agenda to be further discussed at Student Council.

Student Voice

• Meets once a week
• Provides a voice for the unelected Student body
• Has an input into the School Council Agenda
• Provides an opportunity for a wide variety of students to acquire valuable communication and citizenship skills and to contribute to the school community as a whole.
• Runs fundraising projects – Moat recently collection and sending of stationery products to Lindani High School in South Africa.

The School's Student Voice agenda also includes participation in the Children's Commissioner for England's annual 'Takeover Day'. Students vote to elect a student 'Head Teacher for the Day', 'Deputy Head  and Teacher for the Day'. The successful candidates shadow these for the day, gaining an insight into the challenges of running the School and acting as representatives of the student body.

Student Voice is an intrinsic part of our on-going efforts to maintain the outstanding quality of teaching and learning across the School. Students are regularly consulted as part of the Departmental Review process.  Students at Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School  feel their views are valued within the school community.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) guarantees every young person the right to be heard in the decisions that affect her life. QEGS remains dedicated to this principle and continues to give all our students a voice in the life and running of the School.