Student Council

What is the Student Council

The Student Council was established in 1993 by Redditch Borough Council to represent the views of and help address the needs of young people in Redditch. The process of the Student Council mirrors the Borough Council Structure and is made up of elected representatives from all four High Schools in Redditch who serve a term of office for one or two years.

The aims of the Redditch Student Council are to :

1. Give young people the opportunity to learn about and practice democracy
2. Give young people a voice and a channel for representation
3. Give the Borough Council an insight into the needs and views of young people
4. Pursue issues and goals that are important to young people.
5. Organise events and activities for young people in Redditch.
6. Constitution
7. Terms of Reference
8. 2004/05 Work Programme
9. Achievements of the Student Council

The Student Council – Constitution

1. The constituent schools of the Redditch Student Council shall the Trinity High School and 6th Form Centre, Arrow Vale Community High School, Kinglsey College and St Augustine’s RC High School.
2. Nominations for election as Student Councillors shall be submitted by prospective candidates and 6 Student Councillors shall be elected to represent each constituent School or College, a total of 24 Councillors.
3. The term of office of each Student Councillor shall normally be for a period of two years, after election, from February to the Annual meeting two years later.
4. Any Councillor failing to attend two consecutive meetings, without notice or good reason, shall be deemed to have resigned their membership of the Student Council.
5. Student Councillors leaving school following final examinations (or for other reasons) may choose to retain full membership of the Student Council until the next Annual Meeting. Resignations from the Redditch Student Council will not cause a re-election to be held, but those resigning will be replaced by the candidate who polled the next highest number of votes in the election (the designated “substitute”).
6. The Annual Meeting of the Student Council shall be held in February or March following the elections and otherwise the Council shall meet twice-termly throughout the year. Informal meetings shall be held as and when required.
7. At the Annual Meeting of the Redditch Student Council a Chair and Vice-Chair shall be elected to serve at the next Annual Meeting.
8. The financial year of the Redditch Student Council shall run from 1st January to the following 31st December. A financial report shall be submitted by the Treasurer at the annual Meeting of the Redditch Student Council and to subsequent meetings.
9. Expenditure approved by the student Council must be potentially for the benefit of some or all of the young people of the Borough. Expenditure is not permitted for the personal benefit of individual Student Councillors.
10. The Student Council meetings shall normally be held on weekday mornings and business shall normally conclude no later than noon. Meetings will normally be held at the Redditch Town Hall.
11. Minutes of the meetings of the Student Council shall be maintained by the Clerk to the Student Council in a book provided for that purpose.
12. Meetings of the Redditch Student Council shall be open to the press and the public and press.
13. The role of the Chair will be to control and regulate meetings of the Student Council and to act as general spokesperson for the Council, as required.
14. Urgent Business decisions may be taken, between meetings, by an Urgent Business Panel, consisting of the Chair (or in his/her absence, the Vice-Chair) and designated representatives of each constituent High School/College.
15. Student Councillors may be appointed as spokesperson for specific topics, as required, and initially to keep a watching brief on the business of the Borough Council’s Committees; reporting back to the Student Council as appropriate.

Redditch Student Council – Terms of Reference

Redditch Student Council meets to:

1. Discuss all matters relevant to young people living within the Borough of Redditch.
2. Act as a focal point for and debating chamber for all youth issues.
3. Act as a mouthpiece for young people.
4. Advise the Borough Council on all youth matters, and comment upon Borough Council proposals.
5. Make representations to the Borough Council and other decision making bodies about specific projects or events etc. that will benefit young people.
6. Determine best use of the Student Council’s available resources.
7. Liaise with other youth orientated organizations, locally, nationally and internationally.
8. Act as a channel for information flow between young people and the Borough Council.
9. Work in partnership with other decision making bodies to the benefit of young people living in the Borough of Redditch.

Student Council Work Programme 2004/2005

1. Image of young people (and other people’s perception of young people)
2. Access for young people with disabilities
3. Drugs and drugs awareness ( Scheduled for 14 September 2004 meeting)
4. Nothing to do
5. Communication
6. Town Centre (and the police)
7. Relationships between different groups

Attached is a breakdown of each of the above topics. The points highlighted in bold are for prioritising in the forthcoming year.

Image of young people (and other people’s perception of young people)

• Positive articles in the papers about young people (ID project / invite the press in to talk).
• Press releases of what the student council is doing.
• Have more things for young people to do in Redditch.
• For young people to work with other groups (e.g. older people).
• Invite adult members into meetings to gain a more positive image of young people.
• To work with companies and organisations so that they have an understanding of what young people are like and break the stereotypes. Training?

Access for young people with disabilities

• ACCESS THE MYTH – for a group of young people to go in wheelchairs and assess the facilities available for people with disabilities and how accessible they are.
• Disability Seminar – To get agencies and young people with and without disabilities can get together to look how we can make Redditch a better place for young people with disabilities.
• For all schools to be involved and feed into the student council. • Events to be put on (by the student council?) for young people with and without disabilities.
• More ramps around Redditch so people with disabilities can be and feel independent.
• Open more youth clubs for young people with and without disabilities.
• More activities for young people with disabilities to take part/be involved in (including events, trips etc).
• Promotion in all the schools including Chadsgrove and Pictureoak.
• Better communication between professionals and young people with disabilities.
• More support and information groups available and advertised for young people.

Drugs and Drugs awareness

• To have a drugs workshop at the Student Council meeting
• With support, the student council to write a drugs workshop that they can present in middle schools look at the dangers of drugs
• Drugs workshops in High Schools – outside agencies to come in to the schools
• Drugs Seminar – to invite people from different organisations to look at the issues and effects of drugs
• The police to come and speak to young people at school about the effects of drugs.
• To see what good information is available on drugs for young people and to get it out to young people.
• Support and information places where young people can talk to someone about drugs and other problems.
• Student council to produce a leaflet/video on drugs.

Nothing to do

• Look at developing the Palace Theatre into a cinema on occasional nights.
• Organise trips out of Redditch during the holidays.
• For the student council to put on events such as: get your kit on, Summerfest, Winterfest and Hallofest.
• Make young people aware of the facilities that we have in Redditch

Speakers from organisations (e.g. Time 4U)

Put together a leaflet of what is available to do

• To get a speaker to come and explain about the development of the Abbey Stadium (what is going on, the facilities and when it is going to open).
• Youth groups to come and tell us about what is happening in Redditch.
• Thornton’s development to come and discuss the cinema complex and what is happening.

Communication

• Information day (with stalls) – for agencies to explain and advertise their service.
• Suggestion box and Notice boards in all High Schools in Schools – giving the opportunity to voice their opinions.
• For agencies that have money off the student council to agree that they have to put the name of the council on advertising, press releases etc.
• Get the communication team / newspapers to come in and talk about advertising, marketing etc.
• More articles to be done about the student council in newspapers, school magazines etc.
• Have surgeries at school so that young people can come and talk to the Student council.
• Telephone line for young people to get information about what is happening.
• Assemblies in schools promoting events and the student council.

Town Centre (and the police)

• A representative who is in charge of the CCTV to come and explain how the CCTV works and admit if they do they actually work.
• For Thornfields representative to come in and to look at:
• The issue of the negative attitudes and stereotyping of the security guards toward young people. Training for staff?
• To enforce the No Smoking Rules and have designated smoking areas.
• Better entertainment in the town centre, including for young people.
• Police to discuss the issues and reasons for groups/gangs.

Relationships between the different groups

• For the student council to invite representatives to a student council meeting to explain the issues in Redditch of different groups
• For agencies to come together, admit the problem and start to tackle the issues and share information.
• ‘Market Place’ event with representatives form different cultural groups to have stalls and share information
• To put on activities / trips out of Redditch (on Neutral ground)
• Make everyone aware of the facilities and services available for different groups (including information and support
• 5-a-side football tournament (Villa to help)

Community Safety

• Look at the issues of gangs and bullying
• Street safety workshops to be provided for all young people.
• Look at Community Safety projects in the past – to look for possible future projects
• Invite the police to the meeting to discuss the issue that young people feel unsafe in Redditch and how young people can feel safer.
• Questionnaire to look at do young people feel safe in Redditch
• Invite a representative to look at CCTV to be put in subways

Student Council Achievements in the last two years…

• Student Council Residential
• Actively developed and implemented a work programme
• Student Council Band Night
• Local Democracy Week Newsletter
• Save the Children
• Testing the Ground consultation
• on Education and Campaigning
• Supporting the development of the Teenage “Lifestyles” CD
• Explore Community Safety issues
• Explore the images of young people in the press
• Disability and Inclusion Seminar

Related Documents

Annual Meeting Mintues  (67.14 KB)