News & Updates

On Thursday 21st November the very first meeting of the Raedwald Trust Pupil Committee took place in the Mayor’s Parlour, located in Ipswich Town Hall.

Schools within the Raedwald Trust sent pupil representatives to the meeting. Roger Fern – Raedwald Trust Chair of Trustees, Ashlee Jacobs – Pedagogical Lead at the Raedwald Trust, and Raedwald Trust staff representatives from all sites attended to support pupils.

The Raedwald Trust Pupil Committee provides an avenue for council members from individual schools across the Trust to communicate issues that are important to them.

The first meeting established the ‘Raedwald Trust Pupil Charter’, which is broadly based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Pupils identified articles within the convention that they felt were relevant to their fellow pupils. This input fed into the newly created ‘Raedwald Trust Pupil Charter’.

Key themes identified in the pupil charter were:

• Everyone who works with children and young people should always do what is best for each person.
• Children and young people have the right to say what they think and have their views respected
• All children and young people have the right to life and to develop to their full potential.
• Children and young people must be looked after and kept safe.
• Children and young people have the right to learn and must be given an education
• Children and young people have the right to relax and take part in a wider range of cultural and artistic activities.

Initial discussions and planning around an exciting ‘life changing experiences’ scheme for all young people within the Trust has now also started.

It is safe to say that the first meeting was a resounding success! Going forward, the Raedwald Trust Pupil Committee aims to:

• Provide a forum for essential collaboration, using combined experiences, to sustain and develop school improvement in common activities and issues through listening to the pupils from across the Trust.
• Provide a forum for individual pupil council representatives (from each Raedwald Trust site) to discuss individual school concerns, contributing to solutions at a Trust level.
• Respect each school’s individual ethos, culture, values and identity. (Pupils will participate in committee meetings in a way which is most appropriate to their developmental and individual needs.)
• Recognise and aspire to excellence for each school.
• Agree procedures and protocols within the group to ensure there are similar aspirations, ambition, expectation and standards in the schools.
• Celebrate success across the Trust.
• Build cohesion, confidence and skills among children and young people, empowering them to influence whole Trust initiatives.

Ashlee Jacobs, Pedagogical Lead at the Raedwald Trust said: “Our vision is to ensure improved outcomes for children and young people through the creation of the Raedwald Trust Pupil Committee.”

“The pupils who attended the meeting were an absolute credit to each of their schools. Pupils were engaged, respectful and thoughtful throughout the afternoon.”

Roger Fern, Raedwald Trust Chair of Trustees commented: “The pupils and students who came to the Mayor’s parlour were excellent.

“Although the Mayor, Councillor Jan Parry, wasn’t able to attend, the Town Sergeant, Andrew Beal, was. After the visit he was very complimentary about the response of all the pupils and students both when they were investigating the regalia in the parlour and working in the Mayoress’ Parlour on the charter.”

Future work by the pupil committee will include raising money to help support all pupils across the Trust to access new and exciting experiences, joint work with members of Friends of Raedwald Trust (FORT), and looking into accessing a space to display Raedwald Trust pupil artwork.

Termly meetings of the Raedwald Trust Pupil Committee are planned to take place throughout the school year.

For more information about the Raedwald Trust’s vision for young people in its care, please click here.