Pupil Voice
Pupil Questionnaire
Pupil Voice
At Elmbridge, pupil voice is very important to us; we feel the children should have a say in the development of the school. So 3 times a year, we hold a ‘Pupil Voice’ session involving every child from Year 1-6 over a 2 year rolling cycle. The children are split into groups which focus on different curriculum areas of the school. The groups are made up of children from different classes. They discuss whether previous actions have been met across an aspect of school and what they would like to develop. The children always have strong opinions and all of their views are taken into account; where possible changes are made according to their wishes.
Here is the Pupil Voice Feedback from January 2025:
Subject | We like | We would like |
Art | ‘Express Yourself’ activities The range of activities across the school Sketching/sketch books | To do collaborative projects with other year groups To do competitions |
Computing | The range of things taught in computing Creating things on the computers including using Microsoft Word and Powerpoint Coding | More time for presenting and recording/research in other lessons |
DT | Trying new ingredients Mixing ingredients Comparing biscuits for snapability! | Fewer children in each cooking session |
French | Learning a new language. It is fun to speak when you go on holiday ‘Language Angels’ more than ‘Salut’. It has a better mix of learning and games Learning new vocabulary and comparing French and English words | To have the opportunity to have more games in one French lesson a week to support our learning, especially new words |
Geography | Learning about: The oceans, different places, maps, specific countries, physical and human geography, desert biomes, mountain gorillas Learning songs to help memorize the facts | More of a chance to do group activities and speak together |
History | Trips Timelines (chronology) Talking about the past in our locality | To do more roleplay – children to have an opportunity to act out an event. It could be a quick recap of the previous lesson or even a plenary to consolidate |
Maths | Maths as it gets your brain going and it stimulates the brain Challenges and tricky questions Completing twist-its – we find them easier than solve-its and they are like a warm up for solve-its | More variety of twist it and solve it questions |
Music | Using the instruments in our weekly lessons Being part of pantomimes and shows Singin in Young Voices and competitions | To use our own instruments that we are learning with the peripatetic music teachers in our class lessons |
PE | Using the mats and gymnastics equipment PE/being active/exercise because it keeps you fit Good activities Practising ball skills Working as a team House sports events | Children to give their opinion on what sports/skills they would like to be taught |
RWV | Learning about a range of religions – the children all felt represented The church and mosque trips Making Christingles Dressing up Hearing bible stories and using the children’s bibles Learning about festivals such as Diwali | More visitors/trips to different places To hear more stories |
Reading | Being given a lot of time to read Quizzing at the end of a book and a good variety of questions Book Club – the freedom to discuss books with friends – it helps us to understand our own books better When you get lost in your book and don’t notice the time | Classes all taking books for ‘free choice’ and doing book club |
Science | Experiments Science as it’s fun – learning about how the world works Learning about nature | To pick a science theme and have a real-life scientist come into school to talk about science in real life
|
Wellbeing | Learning about looking after others Reading/understanding school rules Sharing ideas with people My Happy Mind - it is really fun to have a journal that’s yours | More opportunities to draw and share in different ways |
Writing | Having time to be creative Writing stories Using the book (when it’s a good one) | More free writing where the children get to pick what they want to write about More time to sit and write |
| Playtime | Using equipment – creating new games and playing sports The zones introduced e.g. Trim Trail and football/rugby Playing with friends, especially in ‘Quiet Areas’ | Staff to make it clearer what is on the field every day, e.g. rugby Y4 to play football in the upper school playground |
Here is the Pupil Voice Feedback from March 2024:
Subject | We like | We would like |
Art | Expressing our feelings on the page Learning about different styles Working with illustrators for book week | To create our own mural |
Computing | Using computers to research things for other subjects Playing a variety of coding games Typing – it’s good and can help us with spellings | To learn how to create our own games |
DT | Being creative, designing/making Ferris wheels and stuffed toys Learning how you can make things your own (design) Trying food from different countries | To share with other classes/year groups |
French | Learning a different language and finding out more words/using new vocabulary Playing the games to help us remember the words that we are learning Having the worksheets to help us write French words | To play interactive games to help people that have missed lessons to practice their French language and catch up. |
Geography | Learning about:
| To make a model of what we are learning To have more research of topics To make a volcano |
History | Learning about ancient civilisations e.g. Egyptians – it makes you wonder how they did it | To have more role play, drama, Horrible Histories and art to be included in the lessons |
Maths | That the ‘Solve its’ have become more challenging asking us to solve problems in different ways The ‘Puzzle’ workshops (Year 3) The levels of ‘Do It/Twist It/Solve It’ That every lesson is different but linked together | To have a times table challenge or year group/house challenge (think about how we can practice times tables in year groups) |
Music | Composer of the week Performing in the Spring concert Using technology with music Looping and using technology (in Year 5) | To make sure music is happening each week! |
PE | Activities and social/athletic and sport (keeping fit) Having lots of equipment in lessons (hall equipment) Learning new skills | To have football teaching from outside agencies To have external sports visitors To learn rugby in year 6 To have more sports day events To extend clubs to more year groups To mix year groups for PE |
RE | Learning about the important parts of each religion and then getting more information after Learning about more than one religion; we learn about lots Presenting work in lots of different ways, not just writing | To have more religious assemblies done by visitors and pupils |
Reading | How it’s fun and interesting That the information you might read in one book helps in all the different subjects Having a chance to share books from home | To have more practical books that teach us what to do like Lego builds and Minecraft |
Science | Learning about shadows - how they move and their angles (Y3 and Y6) Learning about rocks – making a fossil Learning about plant reproduction Learning about the digestive system – had fun with the experimental stomach | To explore – experience knowledge rather than just being told
|
Wellbeing | Having more mindful moments The ‘Cabin’ for stories, reading, yoga, making things (pastoral) Group/partner work Using ‘myHappyMind’ resources – e.g. happy breathing when stressed | To learn more about friendships and bullying in the curriculum |
Writing | Writing in pen (KS2) Finding new words and putting them in our work Writing fiction (stories) | To maybe introduce ‘word of the week’. |
Here is the Pupil Voice Feedback from November 2023:
Subject | We like | We would like |
Art | Expressing ourselves Using a variety of equipment Making what we want | To work with a real artist |
Computing | Solving problems to fix computers Programming - building games independently Typing, PowerPoint, Office skills | A variety of types of coding/resources e.g. Python |
DT | Using equipment e.g. saws makes you feel creative Free choice in cooking - you can express your individuality and choose what you make and taste what you have made Y3 doing cross stitch/running stitch Y1 designing a puppet and sticking things together
| More choice of what we cook and a bigger selection of materials
|
French | Learning a new language which helps us when we go to France Salut! | To play more games in French lessons and when we read for pleasure, we would like to read French texts
|
Geography | Looking after our world Learning about the water cycle, volcanoes, weather, deserts and the UK Reading stories about people in places Learning about natural disasters |
To learn more about the wildlife in different parts of the world and why they are there |
History | Learning about the past - activities people did Learning about Egypt, how people did things, transport, historical dress, Anglo-Saxons, the Victorians, the Vikings, the Stone Age, Rosa Parks, WW2, the Tudors, trips | More experiences, for example role-play, acting it out and trips. This will help us understand more about history.
|
Maths | Challenges MOT sessions - warming up your body for the maths lesson and getting your mind set How every lesson can be different | To have a times table challenge or year group/house challenge
|
Music | Playing the musical instruments Individual instrument lessons Singing assemblies (infant and juniors) particularly singing pop songs | To use more of a range of instruments in class
|
PE | Using the equipment/apparatus House sports PE with other classes Working on your fitness - fun and active External visitors delivering football sessions Working in teams | Visitors for each year group Different sports, more equipment/apparatus More ball sports, more than just throwing Whole year group PE sessions |
RE | Learning about different religions and having children as subject experts Going to visit different religious buildings Having assemblies by different religious people/children in school | More visits/visitors To make more decisions about how we present our work
|
Reading | Reading lots of interesting books Learning lots of new vocabulary Seeing the higher range gives you something to aim for | A chance to read books out of our range To adjust the criteria of the reading challenge To quiz throughout a longer text - it is too much to remember otherwise |
Science | Learning about scientists and the experiments they did including the black scientist experiments Going outside to do investigations and experiments Learning new things e.g. 'what is gravity'? 'How is electricity made'? 'How do volcanoes start'? | To learn about gravity, chemistry and mixing liquids and do more 'Wow' experiments |
Wellbeing | Circle time games Time to talk (50% of the time) Having worry monsters Talking about things that matter to all of us - e.g. racism Mindfulness - mindful moments | More mindful moments |
Writing | Using interesting words - fun Poetry Writing in pen (KS2) Spelling tests | A chance to have some 'free writing' time and to write about what we enjoy |