At Webber, we are a listening School where all students’ voices are heard.
All Students are encouraged to be part of the ongoing conversation so we can work together to make our School even better. We actively seek ways to hear all voices and offer a raft of alternative ways in which particularly the ‘hidden voices’ can be heard, acknowledged and valued.
Here are just some of the ways we actively ensure every student is encouraged to have their say;
- Surveys/Questionnaires including GL PASS (Pupil’s Attitude towards themselves and School) twice a year and one-to-one follow-ups. GL Data is tracked year on year to review the impact of intervention strategies.
- Student Councils: Senior and Prep councils run by the Year 11 Head Students and Deputies: Student Councils meet every 2 weeks, and 2 students from each Form Council represent the views of their peers. This is not an elected role but a rotation of Reps, so every student has the opportunity to present and represent. In addition, any student can attend the Student Council if they have a suggestion, question or ideas they wish to share. Minutes are posted on the Student Voice Noticeboards with a ‘You Said…We Did’ section to spotlight actions and successes. Student Councils present their work at Governance Meetings twice yearly and at phase assemblies.
- Form Council: Each Form Class forms a Form Council to discuss the upcoming Student Council ‘hot topic’ or discussion point and AOB suggestions. In this way, every student is encouraged to have their say, record their suggestions or questions, and participate in the democratic process.
- Circle Time and Carpet Time in Nursery and EYFS / KS 1 for oral feedback, discussion and suggestions
- Focus Groups These are several groups where Students from specific Year groups meet with the Senior Leadership Team to give their feedback and suggestions on set topics. (e.g. Behaviour, rewards, environment, catering, eco projects)
- Fortnightly Y10 Prefect Meetings with Head of Pastoral / Designated Safeguarding Lead: a forum for raising any concerns or suggestions of a Pastoral nature.
- Fortnightly Y11 Head Student Executive Meetings with the Headmistress to discuss suggestions from the Student Council, charity events, community and whole projects, etc. As well as the student Executive Action Plan.
- 1-1 conversations: Headmistress and Senior Leadership Team Open Door Policy. The Well Being suite is also open for Drop-ins with the Head of Prep School and Senior Pastoral Lead.
- Staff Recruitment: students are asked for oral or written feedback on all new staff candidates following a teaching observation lesson, and students also formulate questions to be asked as part of the interview process
- Peer review/support (e.g., Academic Mentoring system, Learning Leaders, Nursery Play and Prep Play Leaders, Digital Leads, Eco-Warriors, Wellbeing Leads, Sports Leaders, Prep School Club Leaders, etc.) Any student who wears a badge at Webber is asked to ‘Walk the Walk’ and be the eyes & ears and advocates for their peers and younger students every day. They are always ‘on duty’ to help listen to and support Student Voice across all Year groups.
- Year 7 & 10 Buddies and Year 6 and Receptions Class Buddies weekly playtime check-ins
- International Buddies: We pair up new EAL students with other same first language speakers to allow them a friendly face and a willing ear who will help to explain, translate or advocate when needed. This has been particularly helpful with our more recent joiners from Hong Kong who have met with new families on Tours and on their Taster Days to help reassure and answer any questions about the transition process and settling into a new curriculum and school setting. Making them feel able to ask any questions in their home language
- Catering Feedback: Annual survey and termly feedback on WWW and EBI catering suggestions, fortnightly meetings of the Healthy Choices Working Group with the Executive Chef to review and discuss seasonal menu rotations
- Curriculum Design (subject options at GCSE are based on what each individual Year 9 cohort selects and are highly flexible, individualised, and tailored to student needs and requests. As a result, we have a high course completion rate and fewer dropouts.
- Extra-Curricular Design (club choices /suggestions for trips and visits, which careers to showcase at Ed Talks and Careers Evenings) All of these are sought through Student Council meetings or Student Questionnaires.
- PSCHE schemes of work: Pupil well-being discussion-based topics form part of the PSHCE spiral curriculum.
- Governor involvement: Students present to the Education Director twice a year, and they also meet informally with students whenever possible when they are in school monthly.
- Learning Reviews: student focus groups meet with the Bellevue Learning Review Team to talk about learning, key priorities for the year and their school experience
- Pupil decision making; e.g. rules & guidelines; policy input, facilities & resources
- Students bid annually for FOWIS: ( Friends of Webber Independent School) funding for projects, resources, training and experiences for students.
- Headmistress’ Afternoon Tea: Meeting with Students and other year groups to give feedback now they are progressing and discuss the ‘What Went Well’s’ and the ‘Even Better If’s’.
- Milton Keynes Youth Parliament: Voting for the key issue/focus of the year, all Year 11 students require the issues and cast their secret bullet vote in the MK Youth Forum Elections.
- Year 11 One-to-One Interview Practice with Headmistress: Year 11 students are coached and supported to be confident and able to present their skills, competencies, interests, and passions and to self-advocate at their post-16 interviews. This bespoke approach helps even the most introverted and anxious students find their voice and tell their own unique stories.
- Charities and community projects: students bring their suggestions to the Senior Leadership Team or via Student Councils and present on the charities and projects that they would like the Webber community to consider supporting
- Open Days and Visitor Tours: Webber students are happy to share their learning journey with visitors to the School and to talk openly and honestly about their experiences ‘What Went Well’ and ‘Even Better If’s’.
- Worry Boxes in Prep Forms / Worry Muncher on Prep Corridor and online Senior School Wellbeing email: for students to write down a concern, worry, suggestion or statement to ask for help for themselves or refer their friends for support or raise a concern; this goes directly to the Pastoral Lead/DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead)
- Year 6, 9, 10 & 11 Student Interviews for Executive and Prefect roles and post 16 interviews. Students are asked to bring their suggestions and discuss their ‘Big Idea’ to move Webber forward. Many of these over the years have been taken forward to become part of a School Priority Action Plan, e.g. most of the Eco /Webber Goes Green Action Plan was driven by Student Voice and the Eco Team
- Student Ambassadors: Students are invited to attend community and business events where they represent Webber and are given a platform to champion the interests and causes they feel passionately about
