Pupil voice and the Primary Review

The latest group of interim reports from the Primary Review has now been published (23 Nov 2007).

On ‘pupil voice’ the Review found that pupils would like more control over their learning, and that where pupils are listened to on teaching and learning issues, teachers can gain insights into what motivates, helps and hinders learning.

General Teaching Council for England Chief Executive Keith Bartley says:

‘Effective teachers have long recognised that pupils’ achievement and enjoyment of learning is greatly enhanced when they have a strong voice and sense of responsibility for their own learning.  The concept of “pupil voice” is now gaining much greater formal recognition as part of the aim to personalise learning for all pupils. Some elements of the concept focus strongly on the school environment, anti-bullying polices and formal consultative mechanisms such as school councils.

‘Equally, if not more important, are the efforts to develop the child’s sense of themselves as a learner, with the confidence to see where their learning needs to go next and how they can get there. We should never underestimate what young children are capable of* and how exciting and rewarding the process of engaging with them is for all involved.  Older primary pupils identify the same concerns as teachers about the loss of breadth in the primary curriculum which can follow from the SATS regime. Today’s reports provide further valuable and important insights into the interlocking challenges facing primary education.’
*One highly successful example of primary pupil-teacher partnership in learning is the PELRS research project conducted by researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University and supported by the GTC.

The following documents have been published:

• Children’s lives and voices: research on children at home and school. Overview briefing on research surveys 5/3, 7/1, 8/1 and 8/2.
• Research survey 8/1, Children’s Lives Outside School and their Educational Impact, by Berry Mayall.
• Research Survey 7/1, Parenting, Caring and Educating, by Yolande Muschamp, Felicity Wikeley, Tess Ridge and Maria Balarin.
• Research Survey 8/2, Primary Schools and Other Agencies, by Ian Barron, Rachel Holmes, Maggie MacLure and Katherine Runswick-Cole.
• Research Survey 5/3, Children and their Primary Schools: pupils’ voices, by Carol Robinson and Michael Fielding.

plus separate briefings on each of the above reports. They can be downloaded from the Primary Review website.