Pupil Parliament

At Harris Primary Academy Beckenham we actively encourage leadership opportunities and pupil independence. This is with the aim of developing valuable leadership, communication and organisational skills. We believe that it is vital for our pupils to have a voice and be involved in key decisions related to our academy.  

Pupil Parliament within our academy is structured much like the UK Government.  It is made up of different ministerial roles and ministers have the opportunity to lead on various projects throughout their time in Pupil Parliament.  Each of these roles is designed to have a specific focus on improving our academy.

Children will share new ideas or discuss matters that arise, they feed back to their classes and bring thoughts and resolutions on issues affecting them. The outcomes of these discussions are shared with the Senior Leadership Team who consider, discuss and respond to the matters raised.

How do you join Pupil Parliament?

Our Pupil Parliament change Cabinet Ministers once per year. To become a part of Pupil Parliament children in YR1 – YR6 are encouraged to nominate themselves for election during election week. All children then get a chance to vote in a democratic election.  Following the vote,  2 representatives from each year group are then elected and become members of Parliament. They then attend meetings which are held on a regular basis to discuss issues that are important to the children and work on projects to improve their academy. The projects they take on are varied and range from ways to improve the facilities, their learning journeys or best ways to fundraise for outside charities.

Our Ministerial Roles

1. Prime Minister
2. Deputy Prime Minister
3. Health and Fitness Minister
4. Outdoor Learning Minister
5. Fundraising Minister
6. Friendship and Support Minister
7. Teacher Support Minister  

How have Pupil Parliament made a difference within our school ?

The projects and topics that Pupil Parliament take on vary throughout the school year.  Projects are linked to the academy context at the time and may also be chosen because children feel they are important and need addressing.

Below you will find just some of the projects that Pupil Parliament have worked in the past:

• Created posters to place around school to raise awareness of road safety.
• Created a promotional video and held a democratic vote within the school community on which local charities should have funds raised for them, contacted these charities to start working together.
• Wrote to the UK’s Prime Minister to ask questions regarding parliament and received a reply.
• Visited the Houses of Parliament to gain a deeper knowledge of Parliament within the UK.
• Asked classes to take part in a ‘diversity within our school’ questionnaire and then created a video celebrating diversity and presented it at a whole school assembly.
• Created posters and a display celebrating diversity and placed throughout the school.
• Written a half-termly piece for the school newsletter updating projects that they have accomplished or taking on within school.
• Raised funds with the whole school for The Poppy Appeal, Children in Need, Comic Relief and other charities.
• Met with Pupil Parliaments from across the Harris Federation at the Harris head office to discuss key issues that face us all and plan how we can work collaboratively.
• Created a manifesto of ideas for change within school. These ideas included the following that have now been implemented:

- A new after school science club

- Healthy eating promotion

- Extra PE lessons

- Staff Star of The Week celebration

- Approaching the PTA to purchase playground benches and equipment.

- Approached the PTA to give them a donation towards manifesto goals that they could then use to create further funds for projects.

Pupil Parliament is a much loved and important part of our academy and children and staff continually thrive in this context as our academy grows.