At Willow Dene we are committed to ensuring that every child and young person has a voice, that their views are valued and that they are empowered to influence decisions about their learning, experiences and school community. Pupil voice is central to our ethos and is embedded throughout everyday school life. 

We recognise that our children and young people communicate in a wide range of ways, and that pupil voice looks different for every individual. Our staff teams have a shared responsibility to understand, recognise and respond to each child and young person's communication, ensuring that everyone has meaningful opportunities to express their needs, preferences, feelings, ideas and opinions. In doing so, we ensure that children and young people are not only listened to, but that their contributions are respected, celebrated and used to shape our school.

Pupil Voice in Everyday practice

Pupil voice is an integral part of teaching, learning and the wider school experience at Willow Dene. Our staff teams work closely with children and young people, their families and other professionals to develop a detailed understanding of each child's individual communication systems. Communication passports for each child and young person support a consistent understanding of how each individual communicates, what different forms of communication can mean and how adults should respond. 

Our whole-school approach to communication provides children and young people with opportunities to develop their expressive communication and share their views across different environments and experiences. Adults are responsive to all forms of communication, using their knowledge of each individual to recognise preferences, interests, engagement and expressions of agreement or disagreement. These interactions inform our approaches to teaching, the organisation of our learning environments, what individual support looks like and the experiences we offer. 

We provide opportunities throughout our curriculum for children and young people to shape their future. For example, our Key Stage 3 Specialist Interest Afternoons provide opportunities for children and young people to explore, share and develop their individual interests, strengths and passions. These opportunities support children and young people to develop their confidence, independence and sense of identity, whilst contributing meaningfully to their learning experiences. These interests can then feed into purposefully designed AQA units in Key Stage 4. 

Through this approach, we ensure that every child and young person's voice is heard, every form of communication is valued, and every contribution has the power to make a difference. 

School councils 

Our primary and secondary school council sessions take place once a term, are class-based and involve all children and young people. Classes vote, share ideas, and feedback on a range of topics which directly impact on their school day. Class teams work to deliver the school council sessions in a meaningful way for our classes in order to enable all children and young people to participate. Our leadership team respects the decisions the children arrive at and act upon these. 

We have two representatives from Willow Dene on our Compass Eko school council who meet on a termly basis to discuss key issues for children and young people across all schools within the Trust. Agenda items have ranged from local charities to support through to trust wide projects such as ‘11 before 11’ , ‘16 before 16’ and '19 before 19', discussing what experiences every child should have before they leave primary, secondary or sixth form. 

In addition to our School and Compass Councils, we also ensure our children’s voices are heard within the wider community. 

The Greenwich Young People’s Council (GYPC) is a council within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, made up of young people who represent the views of young people across the borough. This council was created to engage young people in democracy, politics, and citizenship. Our Willow Dene representative attends regular meetings with the GYPC to discuss local topics. 

The ACE (Action, Change and Equality) group works to inform decision making for children and families with SEND within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. We have a primary and secondary ACE group who meet on a monthly basis in school, to discuss topics presented to them by the Local Authority. 

Additional Pupil Voice Opportunities

Across Compass Special Schools, children and young people also have opportunities to contribute to specialist committees and groups, such as our Eco Committee and the Art Ambassadors Group which reflect their interests, strengths and passions. These groups provide meaningful opportunities for children and young people to develop their interests, experience shared responsibility and contribute to projects which extend beyond their own classrooms and school. 

Through the Jack Petchey Foundation, our young people have opportunities to recognise and celebrate the achievements, contributions and personal qualities of their peers. Children and young people are encouraged to nominate and vote for individuals they feel deserve recognition, ensuring that their views directly influence who receives an award. This provides a meaningful opportunity for children and young people to celebrate one another's successes and contribute to a positive and supportive school community in which everyone's achievements are valued. 

At Willow Dene, we recognise that the value of pupil voice lies not only in creating opportunities for children to express themselves, but in how we listen, respond and act upon what is communicated. We are proud of the many ways in which our children and young people contribute to Willow Dene and the wider community. 

By recognising and valuing every form of communication, we support our children and young people to develop confidence, independence, self-advocacy and a growing understanding that their voice matters and can make a difference.