Spencer Primary Pupil Parliament begins a new year of change
Pupil representatives from across Spencer Academies Trust came together this term for the first Pupil Parliament meeting of the 2025-26 academic year. The session marked an inspiring start to a new year of collaboration and pupil voice across the Trust.
The day opened with a lively and engaging question-and-answer session with Fiona Hallam, Trust Head of Safeguarding. Pupils were keen to learn more about Fiona’s role and her journey within the Spencer family, asking thoughtful questions about everything from her favourite foods and holiday destinations to her love of Formula One.
Fiona spoke about her early career at St Giles Spencer Academy and how her passion for supporting young people led her to working across the Trust. She explained how safeguarding is not only about keeping children safe, but also about “creating the conditions to narrow the gap for our most vulnerable learners”, ensuring every child has an equal opportunity to thrive.
Pupil voice was at the heart of the day’s second activity - an in-depth debate focusing on representation. In small groups and then as a full parliament, pupils explored an important question: Can two people represent the voices of an entire school?
Together they discussed themes such as:
- Whether everyone can feel heard
- How fairly two representatives can speak for all pupils
- Whether diverse needs and experiences can be fully captured
- How ideas and messages can be shared across whole school communities
The debate encouraged pupils to consider not only their own responsibilities, but the importance of communication, fairness and inclusion within their new roles.
Building on last year’s work, pupils were presented with statements written by 2024-25 parliament members. They sorted these into categories showing positive impacts on representatives themselves, pupils across the Trust, staff in schools and the wider community. The activity helped pupils understand the meaningful difference their work can make.
This year’s Pupil Parliament introduced refreshed and re-focused steering groups, with representatives deciding on their key projects for the year during this first session.
The Safeguarding team have decided that they will be developing a Safety Teddy Bear for each school - an approachable tool designed to support younger pupils in feeling safe, secure and confident in seeking help.
The Inclusion team is creating a Buddy Base for every academy. These welcoming spaces will include toys, games and displays showing trained pupil buddies. Children will be able to find someone to talk to or play with, helping ensure every pupil feels they belong.
The Learning team are preparing a project centred around encouraging more debate and critical thinking in schools. Their work will support pupils in developing confidence, communication skills and a deeper understanding of learning beyond the classroom.
We can’t wait to hear how they are progressing in their next meeting!
