Our voices matter: How student voice is understood, enacted and experienced explored through case studies of ‘Rights Respecting Schools’ in England.

Abstract

According to Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (UNICEF, 1989), all children have a right to speak out and be heard on matters affecting their education. Student voice has become a widely used term to acknowledge that young people bring unique perspectives and that those charged with making decisions about children’s education bear the duty to give due weight to the views expressed by their students (Lundy, 2007). The acceptance that students should play a more significant role in their educational experiences and journey has gained momentum over the past 30 years. Student voice activities continue to be endorsed by policymakers, and UK national education policy strongly encourages practices which seek to increase levels of student participation (DfE, 2014a). This aim of this study was to develop a detailed understanding of how student voice is constructed, understood and experienced by students, teachers and senior leaders in three different educational settings. Using an interpretative research methodology data was collected from semi-structured interviews, observation, focus groups and provision mapping of activities across participatory and rights-based frameworks (Lundy, 2007; Mannion, Sowerby & L’Anson, 2015). This methodology incorporated three case studies of secondary schools selected because they have shown a commitment to achieving accreditation through the UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA). Findings suggest that the organisational culture and ethos of a school is vital for student voice to take root, be nurtured, and thrive. It highlights that when young people have the opportunity to have a say in decisions which affect them, they feel empowered and have a greater sense of ownership of their school experience. While conceptual models can help with supporting and facilitating participation to promote student voice practices, young people need lived opportunities to believe they have influence both individually and collectively. The findings also highlight some of the tensions and ambiguities that exist for school leaders and raise questions about the need for schools to recognise student voice as part of broader participation rights. It is clear that for student voice to become an authentic part of a school’s everyday practices, it requires sustained effort including planning, policy changes and continuous review. Ideally, this is in partnership with students where it can help bridge the potential distances between young people and adults in the school.