Primary Pupil Parliament celebrate a year of impact and inspiration
The Spencer Academies Trust Primary Pupil Parliament came together for their final meeting of the academic year to celebrate achievements, reflect on their journey, and look ahead to the future.
The session brought together representatives from primary academies across the Trust to discuss the impact of their work and how they have helped shape change in their schools and communities over the past year. The Pupil Parliament is made up of two pupils from each primary school and provides a platform for children to have their voices heard on key issues, with steering groups centred around the environment, community, teaching and learning and SEND and inclusion.
The meeting featured a special visit from Rachel Saunders, the Trust’s Director of Vulnerable Learners, who spoke to the children about her own career journey. She shared that she always wanted to be a PE teacher growing up and studied Sports Science at university before going on to complete her teaching degree.
Rachel reflected fondly on her time as a PE teacher, becoming a Head of Year and then a SENCO - a role that deepened her interest in understanding the challenges some children face in school. Her journey eventually led her to leadership roles including Assistant Head at Heanor Gate Spencer before joining the Central Trust Team as Director of Vulnerable Learners.
Pupils asked thoughtful and engaging questions, such as what inspired her to become a teacher and how she found the move from working with secondary school children to primary school children. Rachel explained how she always wanted to become the kind of teacher who helps every child reach their full potential. Pupils also asked her questions about her family, her dog, Amalfi, and her favourite school subjects!
Rachel was also keen to take away the children’s thoughts and suggestions to help improve experiences across all schools in the Trust.
As part of the session, children were then invited to reflect on what they’ve achieved through their work in Pupil Parliament this year - from leading community and environmental projects to raising awareness of SEND needs and influencing how learning happens in the classroom.
Throughout the year, pupils have led a variety of meaningful projects designed to make their schools more inclusive, supportive, and environmentally aware. Kindness walls and kindness tokens were introduced in several academies to support emotionally vulnerable pupils and encourage thoughtful actions among peers. Some schools hosted kindness-themed assemblies, helping to promote empathy and inclusivity across year groups. Year 4 and Year 6 pupils took part in mentoring sessions focused on developing key learning skills, while reading buddy programmes helped to build confidence and foster a love of reading. Pupils also championed sustainability through eco-conscious collections and by raising awareness of environmentally friendly habits within their schools. To build connections across the trust, many schools took part in penpal letter exchanges, helping children to learn about each other’s experiences and celebrate the wider trust community.
Their reflections included the impact they’ve had not just on their schools, but on the adults they’ve worked with, their communities, and themselves. Some suggested that future Pupil Parliament teams might include children from other year groups to help with the workload on Year 6 pupils, while others recommended having more frequent meetings, or increasing school council activity between parliament gatherings. Pupils also suggested ways to improve collaboration, such as organising visits to other schools or using platforms like Google Classroom to keep in touch.
Staff also commented on how valuable it has been to connect with colleagues from other schools, strengthening relationships and fostering new ideas for school improvement.
As the meeting drew to a close, pupils and adults were thanked for their dedication, ideas, and hard work throughout the year. Each child received a certificate and thank you gift in recognition of their contributions. A surprise video message from Kate Green, Director of Primary Education, rounded off the session with words of encouragement and pride for the young leaders.
It has been another successful year for the Trust’s Primary Pupil Parliament - full of inspiring conversations, ambitious ideas, and real impact.
We can’t wait to see what next year’s parliament members will achieve!
