At South Dartmoor Community College, representatives from each tutor group have the opportunity to put themselves forward for elections to form the Student Council.  

The council meet each half term to share the views of their tutor group. Therefore, prior to meetings they liaise with their peers to gather opinions. Afterwards, they feedback to the form, communicating the details of the process and discuss possible outcomes and actions.  Follow-up meetings with staff and members of the Leadership team are a crucial part of the process. 

Students are encouraged to chair their own meetings and prepare presentations to staff. They also have the responsibility within the college of running Student Voice which develops active citizens with the skills to become involved in public life as adults. 

All members of the Student Council can be identified around school by their blue Student Ambassador badges. This enables any student to share their views informally, during all phases of the school day. We fully realise the importance of this aspect, as form discussions may not be the correct format for all concerns. The council have received training on pathways to passing straight to staff if required.  

In addition to facilitating Student Voice, the students support school events and organise fundraising activities. The Student Council are working on a number of projects, including making the canteen more environmentally friendly.  

We are currently in the process of expanding the role of the Student Council.  The vision being to establish more duties and responsibilities within the college. These may include running focus peer groups, providing support to peers, participating in assemblies as well as taking an active role in the college’s recruitment process. 

The staff at SDCC are highly appreciative of the dedication and commitment of the council and fully realise they are an integral component in driving the college’s development plans.