Conservative conference: MPs call for pupil input in shaping schools

Select committee members Charlotte Leslie and Chris Skidmore backed calls from education leaders to encourage youth participation in schools.

Speaking at a conference fringe event, Skidmore suggested pupils could contribute to lesson timetabling.

“Pupils should have far greater say in terms of their own individual timetables,” said Skidmore.

“When it comes to curriculum and subject choices, there are some students who wanted to study both history and geography and weren’t allowed to.

“Schools should bend over backwards to make sure students who want to study those subjects are given the opportunity.”

Leslie agreed, but said schools should be selective about which students they consulted.

“I do agree about pupils being involved, but beware. If someone had asked me what I wanted from my education when I was a pupil I would have said ‘a lot less school’,” she said. “You have to watch what pupils you listen to.”

The MPs made the comments in response to a call from Teach First executive director of external relations James Westhead, who urged the government to include pupils’ opinions in its reforms.

He said research conducted with thousands of pupils by the teacher training organisation had revealed they felt their voices were not being heard.

“In any other industry, the first thing you do is ask your customers what they want,” said Westhead. “But in our industry [education] we don’t seem to listen a lot to our customers and their voice is rarely heard.”

Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Brian Lightman called for the politicians to promote youth participation in schools.

“Student voice is an immensely powerful vehicle to play a part in school improvement,” he said. “One of the most fulfilling parts of my job as a head teacher was having a school council that we consulted about the curriculum, staff appointments, and all kinds of things.

“The advice and feedback from those students is enormously valuable and it would be a real omission of a school if they didn’t use that.”