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Student voice is now seen by Ofsted as an integral part of the school leadership process. It is therefore becoming increasingly important that school councils are both innovative and capable of thinking independently. A well run school council should not only fulfill the requirements of the PSCHE agenda but also positively impact on the learning climate within the school.

Unlike traditional school council training, our one-day workshop will equip your entire school council with essential skills to successfully bring about change.

Through practical and fun activities, the workshop will equip students with the necessary skills to work effectively as a group, run meetings, present to Headteachers and leadership teams, and produce a student voice improvement plan that will add immediate value to the school.

Current practice has demonstrated that an important method of bringing about improvement and change is classroom based research. This workshop demonstrates that this type of research is not only the domain of teaching staff, but can be undertaken equally effectively by the student body.

Promoting small scale research by students ensures a range of independent, and transferable, learning skills are developed; as well as actively engaging students with the learning process. Who better to investigate, and make recommendations on rewards and sanctions, effective classroom practice and improving attainment, than those at the receiving end? Listening to informed student voice will be a major factor in determining the future success of our schools.

By the end of this workshop, your students will have planned their first research project and developed the skills necessary to carry it out in a professional and effective manner. Through a variety of activities, they will have considered how to plan, implement and evaluate their research. Additionally, students will be able to contact a consultant about their research for a six month period following the workshop.

If we have one certainty about the future it is that it will be different. This workshop encourages students to hypothesise about the future of education and schools themselves. Through a variety of practical and theoretical activities, participants will practise high order thinking skills in an environment where anything is possible. Cross-curricular tasks, which will include Art, English, Drama, Media, CELF, will promote the development of transferable skills relevant to learning in its entirety.

Students will engage in 'blue sky thinking' drawing on creative and analytical skills. They will identify possible pathways that education could take, rigorously explore and evaluate these pathways, and synthesise their ideas into a blue print for schools of the future. This workshop is particularly applicable to those schools engaged in 'Building Schools for the Future' projects.

Extension days involving visits to schools of the future and the design of presentations for staff, students and parents are available for clients who wish to pursue the concept of future schools in more depth.

Following the 2002 Education Act schools are required to take notice of students' views and ensure that they have an active involvement in their own education, as participants in improving education and making a difference to their school.

It is crucial that schools recognise that students are the vital ingredient in evaluating learning and teaching and the best school improvement partners. By actively involving students in lesson observation, not only will schools personalise learning and raise attainment, but also have a profound impact on the education system.

This workshop will give students the opportunity to develop the complex skills required to successfully carry out lesson observation. It will lead them through a range of practical activities that ensure that they have the knowledge to recognise the aspects of an effective lesson and carry out audits of displays and assessment strategies. Recognising that feedback is the most important factor in the observation process, students will receive valuable guidance on providing constructive evaluations, asking appropriate questions, use of language and tone and the necessity for confidentiality.

Student observation and feedback is quickly becoming a meaningful tool in the self-evaluation process; this workshop will ensure your students and teaching team are involved in informed and sensitive dialogues around learning and teaching.

With the growth of student voice and the ever increasing responsibility on students to make positive changes in school, comes the pressure of effective communication and successful presentations to a variety of audiences.

Effective communication skills are a very powerful tool, and it is important that time and resources are invested in the learning of these skills in the same way as curriculum subjects. Presenting to a Headteacher and the leadership team, or even their peers, can be a daunting and frightening experience for students. This workshop aims to make presenting both manageable and enjoyable, empowering students with the vital skills to deliver presentations with impact. The day will incorporate a series of steps leading the students through vital aspects of effective communication: using body language to engage an audience; preparing and pre-empting challenging questions; creating an impact through visual resources and other aids and involving the audience. By the end of this workshop your students will have a clear idea of what is meant by successful communication and will have the confidence to carry out dynamic presentations in their school.