At our school, we want every child to understand what democracy means and to feel that their voice matters. We help pupils develop an understanding of how decisions are made and how they can play an active part in their school and wider community.

We do this by:

• Learning about democracy: Through our curriculum, we help children understand what democracy is, how it works in Britain, and the role of public institutions and services. We also explore how democracy has developed over time and consider times in history when people did not have the same opportunities to participate in decision-making.
• Giving children a voice: Our School Council gives pupils opportunities to share their ideas, represent their classmates and have a genuine role in making decisions about school life.
• Learning through elections: We hold mock elections when choosing School Council representatives and for other roles in school. This helps children understand voting, listen to different points of view and learn how to explain and defend their own ideas respectfully.
• Encouraging children to express their views: Through oracy activities, classroom discussions, assemblies and opportunities to present their work, we encourage every child to share their thoughts, ideas and opinions confidently.
• Learning to challenge things fairly and respectfully: We teach children that it is possible to disagree with something or question an unfair situation in a calm and peaceful way. This is modelled by staff and explored through classroom discussions, assemblies and PSHE lessons.

Through these experiences, we aim to help our pupils become confident, respectful and active members of our school community, understanding that their voice matters and that they can make a difference.