Hi,

We are proud to inform you that our new Pupil Voice members are: Cohen, Kacey, Rupert, Lola, Jude, Ella, Ree, Freya and Rudi.

We are looking forward to raising money and donating to the Salvation Army in South Normanton.

We hope we can help our local environment.

We will also be doing some more work on mental wellbeing within our school. 

From Pupil Voice. 

Thank you 

Thank you to everyone who joined in yesterday, we raised £237.50 for the Salvation Army.

Pupil Voice Wellbeing Afternoon:

On Monday 13^th February 2023, Pupil Voice invited all the other Pupil Voice children from the local schools to talk about mental wellbeing.

First of all, we offered the children a cup of squash and a cake and got them sat down. Lola introduced what we were presenting. The schools that joined were Blackwell, Heath, Newton, Town End, Stretton Handley, Stonebroom and Morton.

Carter explained the whole idea of SMILERS and Luca explained about how stress can affect people.

Lola showed the stress bucket and how things can damage your wellbeing.

Alice explained the first activity where on a booklet, they wrote three things they like about themselves.

After that, Carter kindly explained the next game which was called the Balloon Game. This was where you had to bounce the balloon in the air, clap your hands and sing a nursery rhyme all at the same time. Everyone seemed like this, they enjoyed that game as there were lots of laughs.

Next, there were the gingerbread posters. This was where the children (from the other schools) had to write down comments about different emotions that people could feel.

The next activity was emotion bingo led by Luca where the first team to get 5 in a row wins, but instead with emotions not numbers. Finally we talked about the Knit and Natter worry owls so you can get private talks with your teacher when needed and gave the remaining children a tour.

At the start we felt very nervous but eventually it was smooth sailing and after we felt accomplished and proud of ourselves! We also agree that the other schools worked very hard.

Hi I am Luca and I’m a year 6. I enjoy sports, chasing my dog Goose and playing hide and seek with my fish Neptune. I love meeting new people and playing in the wilderness. I believe I can change pupil voice as I can handle a lot physically and mentally.

 Hello, my name is Renee. My hobby is football. I have a dog and 2 fish.

Hello! My name is Alice and I am hoping that I can make the school a better place for as long as I am in Pupil Voice. I am 7 years old and I am in Year 3, my birthday is in February. I have 8 fish and use to have a shrimp- I also have a very cute dog!

Hello! My name is Elsie and I am part of Pupil Voice. I am 10 and in Year 6. If you have anything to say you can always come to me. I promise to try and make your suggestions become reality! My favourite seasons are autumn and winter and my birthday is in May. My hobby is horse riding and I am going to buy a horse. Any name suggestions?

Hi, my name  is  Lola and I wanted to be Pupil Voice because I think I could raise  money for charity I  love helping people  since it makes me  feel happy it also puts a smile on my face. My hobby is ice skating and dancing. I love animals so I have 1 monkey and I am going to get a pet bunny rabbit after Christmas. I use to have 2 dogs a bunch of fish and sea snails but they died. I am 9 years old and I am in year 5.

Hi, my name is Arthur.

I am in year 2, I am 6 years old.

I have a brother and sister in school.

I can’t wait to get working with Pupil Voice.

​​​​​​

Hi, I am Tyreece, I’m 4 years old. I like to play with my toys and my favourite colour is rainbow.

Important notice

We are voting for our new pupil voice on Friday 9th September, if you are interested you need to prepare a short speech by Friday, be prepared to speak to your class and the class will vote for the person they think will be the best person to represent them on pupil voice. Good luck to those who decided to give it a go! 

As a mark of respect for the Royal Family, the pupils have requested we postpone voting for a period of mourning. 

Voting is going ahead week commencing 03.10.2022, Pupil Voice will announce the results as soon as possible. 

Dear Parents/Carers,

Pupil Voice would like  to introduce you to 'SMILERS' this is an initiative to promote well-being in our school community. The older Pupil Voice members have introduced 'SMILERS' to the whole school during an assembly on 25/04/2022. We will be doing various things in school to promote well-being, there will also be some easy activities for you and your child to do at home (nothing too strenuous we promise). As we progress with 'SMILERS' there will be information on the school website, we hope that you will take a look to see what we are doing :)  

Anti-stigma training

When we arrived we were invited into Tibshelf School’s hall we had a drink and a biscuit. When everybody arrived we got to know each other. Then we did an activity which was about what we do to express our emotions. Then we went around and wrote on other school’s sheets. After that we did a few more activities; then it was lunch we enjoyed it. After that we did an activity where we went to a different school council and did an acrostic poem with the alphabet and thought of words for mindfulness. To finish off we did a listening activity then as we left we got an anti-stigma ambassador badge; we headed back to school! Thanks Tibshelf School!!

Neve, Luke and Laila

Pupil Voice 2018-2019

Yellow Day

This year Westhouses Primary School wore yellow to raise awareness for Mental Health. Pupil Voice also went to a 5PP meeting to dicuss the topic. Check our these pictures from their trip to Tibshelf Town End. 

Recycling Batteries! 

Pupil voice have been collecting old batteries to recycle for the big battery bank! In total they have collected a whopping 32kg of batteries. Well done guys! 

Equaliteas Picnic

Pupil Voice organised a picnic to celebrate 100 years since some women first got the vote.

We sent for a special pack from EqualiTeas.org.uk, this included posters, debate cards, a recipe from the head pastry chef at the House of Commons for shortbread and a game.

We decided to use the recipe as a competition for the ‘best shortbread baker’. We felt like we were judging Bake Off! Our winner was Olivia Wilson out of Year 2 (well done) and thank you to all those who took part.

Our school cook prepared a special picnic lunch for us and parents were invited to join us and had a dress code of green, white and purple – suffragette colours, a friend of Mrs Tucker spent time making some rosettes for us to wear.

We also invited a special speaker (a business woman) to our picnic and to speak at assembly about equality in the UK today. Thank you Dusky Edwards for giving up your time to come and visit us and doing a special assembly.

Later in the afternoon we held a debate about school uniform – for and against – with Blackwell School. We argued against a uniform and Blackwell argued for a uniform. We enjoyed the debate and good points were put over by both sides. Thank you, Blackwell pupils and member of staff for joining us on our special day.

We hope that everyone who joined us enjoyed their day and we would like to say thank you again to everyone who helped to make our celebration special.

Pupil Voice.

Our Achievements May to July 2018

• Our nature area notice board is now full of information on bees and their role in the environment.
• We have taken on the responsibility of making sure that the bird feeders are filled.
• Taken some photographs of our feathered friends visiting the feeders.
• Taken photographs of flowers that are growing in the nature area.
• The nature area has been strimmed again.
• Prepared for our ‘Equaliteas’ picnic.
• Organised for a special speaker to talk at our assembly.
• Wrote to Blackwell School to invite them to a debate about the wearing of school uniform
• Some of us took on the important job of looking after our speaker, giving her a tour of the school and keeping her company during the picnic.
• While others had the crucial job of making sure that our visitors from Blackwell School were happy.
• Had a competition for the best shortbread baker in Westhouses School (Olivia won).
• Received replies from local councillors, who were unable to join us for our picnic.
• Thought of interview questions and interviewed the candidates and reported back to the interview panel for the new junior teacher.

Our achievements January 2018- May 2018

• We got a notice board made for the nature area
• The notice board and insect house have been put up in the nature area.
• Bird boxes made and put up on the trees in the nature area.
• Bird food and feeders donated by parents.
• We are now feeding the birds.
• Taken photographs of our progress in the nature area.
• Sent a letter to Wraparound care to ask them to make some bird feeders.
• Wrote to various parents to ask or say thank you for help.
• Went on a visit to meet the Mayor of Derby.
• Did the Big Battery Hunt.
• ‘Equaliteas’ picnic organised for 21^st June.
• Invited a local councillor to join us for the picnic.

September - December 2017 Achievements: 

• Wrote our introductions, which are now on our notice board.
• Planted up the outside containers with winter flower pansies. 
• Wrote a number of letters to ask for donations for the nature area.
• Wrote thank you letters to people who have given up their time and items for the nature area.
• Started sorting out the nature area, it has been strimmed by one of our parents. 
• Got some bug hotels donated by people we have sent letters to.
• Looked how to make bird feeders.
• Got some bird houses and a notice board to show what is going on in the nature area. made and donated by Mr Walters. 

All the collections for Pupil Voice. Bird feeders to follow soon! 

Anti-bulling Week

On Thursday 19^th November 2017, four members of Pupil Voice visited Shirland School to do a workshop on anti-bullying.

First we went inside to their hall and watched a movie about bullying, while we waited for the other schools to arrive.

Then we sat and watched a play performed by Tibshelf Secondary School, which was very good.

After that we went to the tables and everything was set out for us to make some anti-bullying bunting, the children from Tibshelf helped us with this, we enjoyed doing our bunting.

Later in the week some of our classes at Westhouses also made some anti-bullying bunting and it was put along the fence at our school.

Thank you Shirland School for hosting this event.

Olivia and Wezley (Pupil Voice).

Our Achievements!

June to July 2017

. Announced to school assembly that we want to tidy up nature area.

. Listed ideas for nature area.

. Planted cornflowers in nature area.

. Photo’s taken of nature area as it is now (photo’s to be taken as we tidy up).

. Investigated how to make a wildlife pond.

. Wrote letter to ask for bird boxes and notice board.

. Repaired fence round nature area.

. Put in stake and tied upright an oak tree.

. Discussed putting a path in the nature area.

. Talked about setting up a nature table for pupils to display any nature/wildlife items they might find.

Our Achievements!

January to May 2017

. Got new play time toys.

. Made poster for the shed.

. Wrote letter about old pots and pans for the mud kitchen.

. Ask gardening club if they will help us clean up the nature area.

. Put photos of new play time toys on website.

. Stretch bands arrived last pupil voice meetings.

. We have made scooter club to two days not just one.

. We have planted cornflower and golden jubilee in nature area.

. Wrote a letter to YPO about faulty toys, we had a reply and returned the toys we are now awaiting further reply.

5 Pit Partnership!

Jamie, Fern and Lilly (Pupil Voice) visited Blackwell Primary School on 19/06/17.

Speed Talking

First we started off by going around and telling other schools about our school and them doing the same to us and we had 5 minutes each to do that.

It was interesting learning about other schools in the 5 pit partnership. We found it interesting that Stonebroom School had 3 pigs, 1 cockerel, 3 chickens, 3 chicks and might be getting a kid (baby goat). We were amazed how one school could have 154 children in it. There were many other schools that had a greater amount of children than us.

Fidget Spinners

We had a talk about FIDGET SPINNERS…

Our aims as Pupil Voice are:

1.  To improve the activities available at lunchtime.
2.  To review some school policies and change some of the wording into child friendly language if needed.
3.  To write letters asking for help in providing recycling bins.
4.  To come up with fundraising ideas for lunchtime activities.
5.  To make sure that the rest of the school knows what we are trying to do.
6.  To introduce ourselves on our notice board and on our web page.
7.  To bring other children’s suggestions up for discussion at our meetings.

Pupil Voice at Tibshelf Community School

Today representatives of Pupil Voice (Ella, Jamie, Elijah, Lilly) went to Tibshelf Community School to have a discussion with other school councillors. Amazingly, Mr Dennis Edward Skinner, also known as the Beast of Bolsover, was there, which was really thrilling for us.

He told us the ways he works and how he does his job. Did you know that many years ago Mr Dennis Edward Skinner saved our school from being closed down from a lack of pupils?.

 Class 3 will have a chance to meet Dennis Skinner, Member of Parliament, as Jamie has written to invite him. He told us that he also saved Bolsover School because it was held up by a pit prop.

After he talked we all got into groups and talked about what we could do next time we meet up. Then we played a skittle game where we answered these questions e.g. red was: what is your favourite subject and why? Orange was: would you rather wrestle with a lion or would you fight a shark? The winner of the 5 pit partnership challenge was a girl named Libi from Tibshelf Town End. Thanks for participating.

We saw all the other school counsellors like Tibshelf Town End, Morton and Newton. 

To sum it all up it was a fantastic experience

and we enjoyed when Mr Skinner told us all about his job and how he had exaggerated to get Tibshelf a new school. It was great fun with the skittles Ice-breaker and we talked about what we could do next time we meet up. We loved it.

Article written by

Ella-Mae Busby

Our achievements between October and December 2016.

• We have done our Pupil Voice board.
• We have taken our pictures.
• We have done our introductions.
• We have talked about fundraising ideas.
• We have wrote letters to Waste Cycle and got a reply (but didn’t get the answer we were hoping for).
• We have read the Behaviour Policy, and highlighted words we didn’t understand and circled things we didn’t think where going on. We had feedback from our Head Teacher.
• We have asked the classes what they would like to spend money on, that was donated at the school plays.