Pupil Voice

At St Norbert’s we want children to learn to be responsible citizens and to make rational decisions based on a balanced view.  We want them to be able to have a say in how their learning is shaped and to be able to suggest ways in which they can contribute to the school’s community.

Our children have a voice through the School Council which has representatives from each year group and meets regularly. We have Reading Ambassadors, who meet termly to discuss how we can further support reading for pleasure in our school and as the Gospel values are at the heart of St. Norbert’s we also have a chaplaincy team and Mini Vinnie’s team to spread the good news and be a living embodiment of our mission statement and Catholic Social Teaching.

School Council

Our school council plays an integral part of the decision making process at St. Norbert’s Catholic Voluntary Academy. Pupils in the school elect two children per class to sit on the School Council.  Our School Council consists of fourteen pupils from Reception to Year 6.

The main aim of the school council is to give the children of St Norbert’s a voice. However, its other objectives are: to solve problems making the school a happy place where we can learn, play with friends and have fun; to lead by example showing respect to the whole school community; to work as a team and improve areas of the school for the benefit of all the pupils and to bring to the Council ideas and suggestions of all the children in the school.

The Council meets regularly and is led by the Mrs Simons. Through the meetings, children are encouraged to raise issues and help solve problems that affect their daily experience in school. They can also elect to work on projects to enhance school life.

The School Council is a thoroughly rewarding and exciting experience for the children of St. Norbert’s. It requires commitment and hard work, it also allows the children to meet people from different walks of life, share experiences with new friends and learn life skills and values.

Article 13-Children have the right to get to and share information, as long as the information is not damaging to them or to others.

Reading Ambassadors

We are very lucky to have 8 Reading Ambassadors who are actively working within our school to share their love of reading. The process begun by the children applying for the role using the job description as starting point. Our Reading Ambassador take on a number of roles including  lunchtime Story time with Early Years and Key stage 1 during certain terms and leading on whole school reading initiatives including Poetry Day and World Book Day. If you would like any recommendations about which book to read next, the Reading Ambassadors will be more than happy to help you find a book that will take you on your next adventure.

Mini Vinnies

As Mini Vinnies we lead on local and global community outreach. We are a group of the eldest pupils in school made up each year by elected Year 6 Representatives who are our:

-Head Boy and Girl

-Deputy Head Boy and Girl

-Two additional Prefects

During Advent we focus on Bishop Patrick’s directive:

  • Encounter

During Lent we focus on Bishop Patrick’s directive:

  • Discipleship

During Pentecost we focus on Bishop Patrick’s directive:

  • Missionary Discipleship

Since September 2023 we have:

  1. Organised, collected and shared a Harvest Food Collection for our Church ‘Hub In Hub Out’ Project.
  2. Collected silver coins on crosses to contribute to Parish Fundraising efforts
  3. Organised, led and completed sales of British Legion items for our Annual Red Poppy Appeal
  4. Organised and collated items to donate to women’s refuge in local community
  5. Organised and promoted CAFOD’s Lenten Walk
  6. Collected food produce for Agape and St. Thomas Project in Lent
  7. During Lent collected silver coins on Palms to contribute towards on-going Parish fundraising
  8. We have supported leading Friday Celebration weekly- we give out certificates, lead readings and/or prayers. In addition we sit amongst the classes as ‘mini’ teachers to support younger pupils with listening and attention.