School Parliament at Lainesmead

Our School Parliament is made up of elected representatives from Year 1 to Year 6. The election process is a brilliant example of democracy in action: children put themselves forward, deliver presentations to their classmates, and are then voted in. This process helps pupils develop confidence, communication skills, and a real sense of civic responsibility.

Once elected, School Parliament members meet regularly to represent their classmates, discuss important school matters, and help shape improvements across the school.

School Parliament members are expected to be excellent listeners and communicators who show our school values in their actions. They take part in learning walks, lead on initiatives, and share updates with their classes, making sure every child’s voice is heard.

We’re excited to introduce our new School Parliament; made up of children who were elected by their classmates in a fantastic show of democracy. Each child had to put themselves forward, give a thoughtful presentation about why they would be a great representative, and then wait to see if their class voted for them. The election process was a brilliant way for children to experience democracy in action! 

Term 4: During Term 4, School Parliament led the planning for Children’s Mental Health Week, based on the theme “This is my place”, with a focus on belonging.

Representatives developed a range of pupil-led activities, including a dress down/pyjama day in support of Place2Be, opportunities for classes to take part in shared play sessions, and a whole-school approach to promoting positive relationships and inclusion. This work was supported through aligned THRIVE sessions and collaborative activities across the school.

In addition, School Parliament progressed work on renaming the school’s sports houses, shortlisting a range of themes that are more meaningful and accessible for pupils. These themes will be taken to classes in Term 5 for voting, before pupils contribute ideas for new house names.

Term 3: During Term 3, School Parliament supported the delivery of the Big Schools’ Birdwatch, working alongside the school’s Forest School provision.

Each class took part in a session in the forest, developing their understanding of local wildlife and the natural environment. As part of this work, Year 6 pupils made bird feeders to support bird activity across the school grounds. School Parliament’s ideas and suggestions contributed to this work and were closely aligned with activities led by Mr Parry in his role as Forest School Lead.

Alongside this, Parliament continued to develop the process of renaming the school’s sports houses, working towards a model that is more meaningful and clearly understood by pupils.

Term 2: During Term 2, School Parliament led work around Road Safety Week, focusing on promoting safe behaviours within the school community.

Representatives explored opportunities to enhance the week through external partnerships, including contacting local agencies and national campaigns. As external provision was not available, Parliament ensured that all classes received road safety sessions delivered in school.

Pupils also contributed to raising awareness through assemblies and key messages shared across the school.

Term 1: During Term 1, School Parliament made a strong start to the year by gathering pupil voice on “Life at Lainesmead”, identifying key strengths and areas for development across the school. Representatives engaged in structured discussions around PE uniform and the sports house system, using reasoning and debate to share their views. This work has directly informed the development of the school’s new active uniform policy, which will be introduced from September 2026. Following these discussions, a decision has also been made to rename the school’s sports houses, with this project launching across the academic year.

Parliament also developed questions for staff to respond to in the school newsletter, you can read their responses in our weekly 'Spotlight on Staff' section. 

In addition, representatives contributed to the wider school community by supporting the distribution of governor recruitment flyers in the local area.