Pupil
Participation
Pupil Participation
Since the early 1990’s the theme of participation has been evident in
legislation and government policy. The right to participate in decisions which
affect the lives of children and young people is supported by the following
legislation and policy documents:
Every Child Matters (2003):
Children and young people should have far more to say about issues that
affect them as individuals, and collectively. All organisations providing
services to children will be required to involve them in decision making at a
local and national level.
1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child:
Children, who are capable of forming views, have a right to receive and make
known information, to express an opinion and to have that opinion taken into
account in any matters affecting them. The views of the child should be given
due weight according to the age, maturity and capability of the child.
Removing Barriers to Achievement (2004):
All children and young people have a right to have their views taken into
account in decisions about their education. Involving them in decision making
enriches their learning and helps to develop life-skills such as problem solving
and negotiation…..
Para 3.39
….. All children, even those with the most severe or complex needs, will have
views about their education and the choices before them, and all should be
enabled to communicate their wishes, using specialist tools and techniques
where appropriate.
Special educational Needs Code of Practice (2001):
The SEN Code of Practice emphasises the importance of finding out the
ascertainable wishes and feelings of children and young people and involving
them when decisions are made that affect them.
Para 3.2
Children and young people with special educational needs have a unique
knowledge of their own needs and circumstances and their own views of what
sort of help they would like to help them make the most of their education.
They should…….. contribute to the assessment of their needs and to the
annual review and transition processes. They should feel confident that they
will be listened to and that their views are valued.
The LA is required to seek to ascertain the views of children and young
people as part of the Statutory Assessment of Special Educational Needs.
They will be able to contribute valuable information about themselves and the
ways in which they might like their needs to be met.
DfES SEN Toolkit (2001):
Section 4: Enabling Pupil Participation:
Principles of Pupil Participation:
 Everyone must commit themselves to the challenge of ensuring pupil
participation
 Everyone must recognise the legitimate interests of the other partners
in decision-making
 There has to be a commitment to the long-term involvement of pupils
 Pupils need training and encouragement to help them become actively
involved
 Teachers and parents need to learn how to involve the pupil
 There has to be a determination on all sides to make pupil participation
work
Successful pupil participation is built on a culture of listening to all pupils’
views and providing opportunities for them to take part in and make decisions.
Provision will be more responsive and relevant to pupils’ needs when pupils
themselves play an active role. It is not enough to get pupils involved
superficially. Participation must be meaningful and on-going for all pupils.
To participate in decision-making:
Children need information
to enable them to work towards:
Adults need to:
Understanding the importance
of information
Give information and support
Being able to express
their feelings
Provide an appropriate environment
Participating in discussions
Learn how to listen to the child
Indicating their choices
The participation of children and young people in decision making should be
part of the ethos within the school. Children and young people should be
enabled and encouraged to participate in all decision-making processes that
occur in education including:
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Setting learning targets and contributing to IEPs
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Discussions about choice of schools
Contribute to the assessment of their needs
Contribute to the annual review
Being involved in transition planning
All pupils need to be part of these processes, to know they are listened to and
that their views are valued.
Contributing to the Annual review process:
The annual review process is one opportunity for pupils with special
educational needs to express their views and take part in decisions about
their education. They should be invited to contribute. Their contribution
should be part of the ongoing involvement in planning to meet their
educational needs in school.
Opportunities for pupils to develop and practice the skills needed for proper
participation should be part of everyday educational experiences. It is the
responsibility of the adults around the pupil to develop ways of working with
the pupil to maximise their opportunity to contribute. There are a range of
ways in which pupils can actively contribute which might differ from simple
attendance. It should never be assumed that a pupil is unable to contribute,
but rather adults have not yet identified the way in which they can do so
successfully.
It is important that the child understands that their views are very important
and will be listened to and taken into account. However it also needs to be
explained their views will contribute to all the views from the participants and
the final choice will be based on everyone’s views.
Pupils can provide vital information on their learning and behaviour and if they
are left out of the decision-making about actions taken this can make the
actions less effective. If pupils are part of the decision-making process they
can provide appropriate information about their skills and abilities and they
can provide their views about possible interventions, which are then more
likely to be successful.
Six guiding principles:
1. The views of all children and young people should be sought prior
to all reviews.
Schools/settings should proactively create an ethos in which children and
young people will know that their views will be routinely sought, listened to
and their opinions respected.
2. Children and young people should be given sufficient information
in order to make informed choices about their education.
Making an informed choice is not the same as making a wish list.
Although it is useful to identify a pupil’s dreams and aspirations, there will
be times when they need to choose between several realistic options. The
child or young person must be given time to understand what these
options are. If, for example, a child is asked to make a choice about a new
setting, they should have had the opportunity to make visits prior to the
review meeting.
3. Participation at reviews should be in a way that is meaningful to
the child/young person.
Participation at reviews does not necessarily mean that all children and
young people should attend their review meeting. Participation should be
seen as a concept which may include the physical attendance and
involvement of the child, or may include collecting the views of the child
and including them in the review from the perspective of the child. These
could include video, photographs, drawings. Children and young people’s
views should not be presented as an afterthought.
4. Whether children and young people attend their reviews or not,
the agenda and the manner in which the meeting is run should be
child centred.
The review can be made more child-centred in a number of ways
including:
 Being involved in the preparation for the review by helping to
send out invitations. (You are invited to attend my review
meeting’)
 The review should be welcoming to the child. The review
meeting does not have to be a formal round the table meeting.
 Use simple and clear language.
 The child or young person should be supported to participate.
 Using a pictorial format to help the child understand the current
picture of where they are now and future targets.
5. Children/young people should be given a realistic understanding
of the purpose of the review and what decisions their views can
change or have an impact on.
Some children and young people will be able to understand the purpose of
a review. However they will need to be well prepared for the meeting and
should have the processes explained to them. Options must be clearly
presented in a format that is accessible to the child.
6. Children should be given information about the outcome of any
review in a manner that is meaningful to each child.
Discussion should take place with the pupil prior to the meeting about how
they would like the feedback and then the appropriate means of giving
feedback to the child or young person should be minuted. The person
who is going to take responsibility for ensuring the child receives feedback
should also be identified. A child friendly action plan is one option. They
can be used in formats other than language which are more appropriate to
the child. The next review can then start with a review of progress of the
action plan.
Involvement of children and young people in their reviews should take
account of the range of abilities and methods of communication of children
and young people with special educational needs—For example, children
deemed to be on the autistic spectrum who may not have the same agenda
as you or who do not express their views easily; children with sensory
impairments who may need material in a different format, children who do not
understand language or signing who may need you to collect their views
through observation.
Some children and young people may wish to choose the adult who will
collect their views and support them in meetings.
Important messages to give to the pupil
Involving children and young people in their reviews
1. Your views are as important as everyone else’s.
2. We will let you know in good time what decisions we will
need to make about your future.
3. We will ask you what you think before we make
decisions about your future.
4. You will be able to choose how to tell us what you want
us to know.
5. We will let you know what can or cannot be done.
6. We will let you know how decisions are made and what
decisions we make.
Some suggestions of ways to help children and young people express
their views
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Where children or young people have specific literacy problems, or for
younger children, the supporting adult can read the questions, clarify
and particular confusions and record the answers.
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Use strategies such as pictures, symbols and play things to enable
them to communicate their feelings, if only at a simple level such as
‘happy’ or ‘sad’.
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It is easy to misinterpret non-verbal cues, so the adult who knows the
pupil well will be able to help interpret these signals in order to
ascertain, as far as possible, the pupil’s feelings and wishes.
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When children have difficulties in communication, the advice of any
relevant professional who has worked with them should be sought and
the children themselves be given the opportunity to choose who they
would like to support tem.
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Children with a hearing impairment can be articulate and fluent in
expressing their wishes if they have access to an interpreter,
communicator or deaf support worker.
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Children with learning disabilities may be able to share their views
through signing systems with the support of a familiar person.
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The use of audio recording to allow the child to record their own views.
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The use of other multimedia tools such as video and digital
photographs enables the child or young person to record what is
important to them, such as favourite friends, places they enjoy going to.
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Pupil’s art work can be a powerful tool through which they can express
themselves.
Challenges in taking forward participation
Challenges for children and young people:
There are a number of reasons why children and young people may find it
hard to participate. These include:
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Lack of experience of having their views taken into account separate
from their parents
Lack of confidence to speak out
Lack of experience of being listened to
A physical impairment may not allow them to sit through a meeting
Their sensory or communication support needs are not taken into
account
They may be put off by the language or jargon used
Anxieties about upsetting their parents if they speak out
They may feel they have no power
They may be fed-up with being consulted, especially if they receive no
feedback or see no change as a result
Challenges for staff:
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Lack of skills or training in how to communicate with children,
especially those who do not use speech
Lack of skills or training in how to consult or involve children
Insufficient time to nurture confidence and develop skills
Difficulty in obtaining the support of senior managers
Unreasonable expectations of the children and young people
Being prepared to share decision making with children and young
people
Lack of multi-agency strategy
Lack of transparent mechanism for involving children and young people
Lack of resources, including time, budget and administrative support
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Resources on communication and participation
Toolkits:
Consulting Pupils: A Toolkit for Teachers- includes examples of a range
of manageable consultation strategies.
www.pearsonpublishing.co.uk
Having a Say, Making a Change- CD Rom provides flexible resource of
materials that can be personalised for individual settings/needs.
www.nasen.org.uk
I’ll go first- a planning and review toolkit for use with children and young
people with disabilities.
Children’s Society www.childrensociety.org.uk
Listen up-practical tips and a pack of resources for staff working with children
and young people who have a learning disability.
Mencap www.mencap.org.uk
Say it your own way- a printed guide and CD Rom of practical resources to
support professionals to give children a voice in assessment. Outlines how
art, play, music and drama can all be used.
DfES and Barnardos
www.dfes.gov.uk/integratedchildrenssystems electronic copy
www.barnardos.org.uk hard copy
Two Way Street- a training video about communicating with disabled children
and young people.
Triangle www.triangle-services.co.uk
Publications:
Ask Us- A series of 3 publications and CD Roms explaining the methods
used by the Children’s Society to involve children. Produced in conjunction
with Children’s Society, Joseph Rowntree and DfES.
Publishing@childrensociety.org.uk
Getting it Right- A practical guide for involving children with disabilities in the
assessment, planning and reviewing process.
Triangle www.triangle-services.co.uk
Onwards and Upwards-Involving disabled children and young people in
decision making.
Children in Scotland. E.mail: info@childreninscotland.org.uk
Personal Communication Passports- outlines key principles of making and
using communication passports as a way of documenting and presenting
information about disabled children and young people who are unable to
speak for themselves.
www.callcentre.education.ed.ac.uk
References
Armstrong, D. (1995) Power and partnership in education. Routledge, London
ISBN 0415086434
CSIE. Index for Inclusion (Second Edition pub 2002) Room 2S 203, S Block,
Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QU
Clark, A. AND Moss, P (2001) Listening to young children: The mosaic
approach. National Children’s Bureau and Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
NCB Books ISBN 1 900990
Every Child Matters—The Green Paper DfES 2003 DfES/0672/2003
Removing Barriers to Achievement—The government’s strategy for SEN
2004 DfES/0117/2004
SEN Code of Practice –Good Practice guidance on Identification and
Provision for pupils with SEN 2001
DfES SEN Toolkit 2001 DfES/0558/2001