Young People's Activities - Pupil Voice Wales

Training Activities in 

Pupil Participation for Pupils 

Young People’s 

Activities

ISBN 978 0 7504 6234 1 

© Crown copyright 2011 

WAG10-11208 

F5341011

Training Activities in Pupil Participation for Pupils 

Contents 

Page 

Introduction 2 

Running the Activities: 

Top tips for delivering a good session 4 

Icebreakers 6 

Getting people into groups 9 

Theme 1 - What are Children’s Rights? 

Activity One - Introducing the UNCRC 12 

Activity Two - UNCRC Balloon Activity 14 

Activity Three - The UNCRC - What does it mean for me? 26 

Theme 2 - What is Pupil Participation? 

Activity Four - Children and Young People’s Participation in Wales - the Big Picture 31 

Activity Five - The National Children and Young People’s Participation Standards 37 

for Wales 

Activity Six - The National Participation Standards in Practice 50 

Activity Seven - Defining Pupil Participation 54 

Activity Eight - The Benefits of Participation 56 

Theme 3 - Pupil Participation in Practice 

Activity Nine - Bricks in the Wall 60 

Activity Ten - What Pupil Participation looks like in practice 62 

Activity Eleven - Pupil Participation in the SEF 66 

Activity Twelve - The role of Pupil Voice in Estyn inspections 73 

Information and support 79 

1 

www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk



Introduction 

The training activities in this pack have been designed and piloted with the help of young people 

for young people 1 . They should help you - young people in schools - to: 

• Learn and understand about children and young people’s rights and how they affect you; 

• Understand what participation is, why it’s important and how it can help you to take part 

in making your school community more effective; 

• Share your knowledge and understanding with other pupils in your school; 

• Gain in confidence and communication skills; and 

• Play a more active role in your school and wider community. 

The activities were piloted in secondary schools in South Wales, but they can also be used by older 

primary school children, with staff support. They are easy to use and fun, and should help you to get 

everyone involved. We have tried to keep instructions clear and simple and to keep resources to a 

minimum to encourage sustainability. However, we welcome feedback. If you would like to tell us of 

your experience of using the activities and how they might be improved or added to, please contact 

us at: childrenandyoungpeoplesrights@wales.gsi.gov.uk. 

These training activities can be used in a variety of ways in your school. You may wish to run some 

activities for a year or school assembly - e.g. to raise awareness of the United Nations Convention 

on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Other activities can be run during lesson-time, or with particular 

pupil groups, such as the school council, year council, eco-group, peer support group, etc. They could 

be planned over a period of time - e.g. by the school council - to raise awareness of young people’s 

rights and encourage pupils to participate. 

It is really important that you - the pupils - are supported by a member of staff when preparing for 

and delivering these activities, so that you feel confident, able to get key points across, and so that 

you know what you want to get out of sessions. Staff should also support you to make sure that 

pupils’ views are listened to, acted upon and taken seriously. Feedback to pupils on what has 

happened as a result of their input is essential. 

What are these Activities About? 

Three themes are covered in the training activities: 

Theme 1: What are Children’s Rights? 

Theme 2: What is Pupil Participation; and 

Theme 3: Pupil Participation in Practice. 

Theme 1 introduces the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as the basis for 

all the work we do in Wales around children and young people’s participation. Taking part in these 

activities will help young people to understand what the UNCRC is, why it’s important and how it 

affects their lives. A link is also made here between children’s rights in general and pupil participation 

in particular. 

1 These activities were informed by a focus group of young people from eight secondary schools across South Wales. Some of these 

young people also piloted the activities. 

2 



The activities in Theme two help pupils to define what we mean by children and young people’s 

participation in decision-making, why it’s important, and what needs to happen for it to be effective. 

The National Children and Young People’s Standards are introduced, as well as some of the structures 

and policies which support participation in Wales. 

Theme 3 is about what pupil participation looks like in practice. Pupils are able to explore any 

barriers there may be to participation, and how these can be overcome. They can also look at some 

case studies, and consider how pupils can play a role in improving their school as part of the School 

Effectiveness Framework (SEF), and linked to Estyn’s new Common Inspection Framework. 

How to use the Activities 

There are twelve activities altogether. Some activities overlap (e.g. activities two and three) so that 

facilitators can choose which activity they prefer. Some activities link to the Grown ups’ Training 

Activities on this site, and to other materials. Where this is the case, this is clearly indicated. 

The Trainers’ Sheet for each activity is set out in a similar format: 

• Theme number (1, 2 or 3) 

• Number and Title of the Activity 

• Purpose - what this activity should help you to do 

• Resources - anything you need to run the session 

• Preparation - anything you will need to do or check beforehand 

• Timing - how long you will need to run the activity 

• Participants - what size group this activity is appropriate for, and any instructions about splitting 

people into groups 

• Outline of Activity 

• Follow-up. 

Resource sheets for activities follow the Trainer’s sheet for that activity. These are available in English 

and in Welsh to encourage use of the two languages. Sometimes you will need to download 

resources such as DVDs. If this is the case, web-site links are given. 

Some resources are provided after this introduction to help you deliver the activities confidently 

and in fun and interactive ways. These are: 

• ‘Top Tips’ for Delivering a Good Session; 

• Two ideas for icebreakers for beginning a session, or to get people energised; 

• Some ideas for getting people into groups. 

Further ideas for icebreakers and activities to get pupils involved in decision-making can be found at: 

http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/secondary/resources/activity-packs/ 

At the end of the activities, we list some sources of further information and support, which may also 

be of use to you. 

3 




Don’t forget the Pupil Voice Wales web-site, which contains lots of activities and resources 

to help you get involved and to involve others. Take a look at: http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/ 

secondary/resources/ 

Above all we hope you have fun delivering these activities! If you’d like to let us know how 

your training went, or how things changed in your school as a result, you can contact us at: 

childrenandyoungpeoplesrights@wales.gsi.gov.uk 

Top tips for delivering a good session 

Before the Session: 

• Where possible, use activity 4 before running a session so that you understand participation 

in Wales and how pupil participation fits in 

• Find a quiet area to deliver activities 

• Where possible, deliver in an open space. Move tables out of the way if necessary and make 

a circle of chairs 

• Be prepared and well-organised; prepare all resources - including technology! 

• Ensure you have a link teacher to help you (a teacher with responsibility for pupil participation) 

• Read all sessions through before you deliver them individually 

• Work out as a team who is doing what 

During the Session: 

• Introduce yourselves 

• Explain what the activity is and what it’s trying to do 

• Be confident 

• Speak slowly and clearly 

• Keep it simple 

• Make it fun 

• If splitting people into groups keep group sizes to maximum of six pupils 

• Use pictures / images / music / technology 

• Use language children / young people can understand 

• Make it interesting 

• Keep it short 

• Ensure it is age-appropriate 

4 



• Give examples of how this is relevant to pupils’ daily lives in school, e.g. taking part can make 

learning more fun and help you to feel you can make a difference 

• Be aware of reading or writing difficulties; give participants the opportunity to pair up 

if necessary 

• Add activities to spice it up e.g. participation bingo / quiz / games (see following pages, 

and the Pupil Voice Wales web-site: www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk) 

After the Session: 

• Discuss how things went - what went well? What might you do differently next time? 

• What came out of the session? What might you need to follow up with your link teacher? 

What else could you do? 

• Think about running training with other cluster / feeder schools so that pupils can support one 

other and share good practice 

• What about putting on a school council meeting or conference for your area? Ask your 

link teacher! 

5 




Icebreaker 1 

Activity 

The Big Wind Blows 

Purpose 

To mix up the group so they are sitting next to pupils they may not 

usually hang out with. 

Resources 

None 

Preparation 

None 

Timing 

2 - 5 minutes 

Participants 

The whole group 

Outline of Activity 

The group should be sitting in a circle of chairs. 

Use as many of the following as you want and introduce your own. 

Ask the participants to ‘stand up and change places if...’ 

• You ate breakfast today 

• You watch X factor 

• You are wearing something black 

• You have a pet at home 

• You have been on holiday this year 

You can take one chair out of the circle so there is always someone 

left standing in the middle who then calls out the next category. 

6 



Follow-up 

You can do the same activity to re-cap activities completed 

during the day or to introduce some of the key concepts of 

pupil participation. 

‘Stand up and change places if’... 

• you have voted for something recently 

• you know what Funky Dragon is 

• you have heard of the National Participation Standards 

• you know what a School Council is 

Adaptations, 

if including children 

and young people 

Start by labelling people as fruits - orange, apple, pear, banana. 

Ask all oranges and bananas to change places; apples and pears; 

orange, apples and pears - fruit salad (all change). This could also 

be used to find out if people have been involved in participatory 

activities in their school. 

Further statements could include: 

‘Stand up and change places’... 

• if you have voted for your School Council representative 

• if you have taken part in a school committee of any kind 

• if there is an eco-committee in your school 

• if you have ever been asked how you like to learn 

7 




Icebreaker 2 

Activity 

Stand up / Sit Down 

Purpose 

To get the group ready to work co-operatively and collaboratively 

and to begin to get to know each other’s names. 

Resources 

None 

Preparation 

None 

Timing 

5 minutes 

Participants 



The group should be sitting in a circle of chairs. 

Ask all of the participants to stand up. Then ask them to sit down 

one at a time and say their name at the same time. If two people 

sit down at once, everyone has to stand up again. Continue until 

they manage to complete the task so everyone has sat down 

one at a time. 

Follow-up This is a useful activity to do as an introductory ice breaker - 

it makes people laugh and helps to ‘break the ice’. 

Adaptations, 



If you are using it within a group who already know one another, 

ask them to count as they sit - first person to sit says ‘1’ and 

the second ‘2’ and so on. Give them a target of beating their 

last attempt. 

8 



Getting People into Groups 

Activity 

Lines 

Purpose 

To form small groups of randomly assigned people. Often better 

to use straight after lunch as it gets people moving. 

Resources 

None 

Preparation 

None 

Timing 

5 minutes 

Participants 



Ask the group to line up according to their date of birth - day and 

month - WITHOUT TALKING - Indicate one end of the room as 

January 1 st and the other end as December 31 st . 

Point of interest: statistically in any group of 30 there should be 

two people with the same birthday. 

Follow-up 

Count the participants off into groups of four along the line. 

Adaptations, 



No adaptations necessary. 

9 




Getting People into Groups 

Activity 

Counting 

Purpose 

To form small groups of randomly assigned people. 

Resources 

None 

Preparation 

None 

Timing 

1 minute 

Participants 



This is designed to put participants into groups of four. Number all 

of the participants in the group as follows - 

If you have 28 people, number them 1-7: all No.1’s sit together, 

all No. 2’s, all No. 3’s and so on. 

Follow-up 

This way of grouping people randomly is the quickest and fairest 

and ensures everyone gets to know each other. 

Adaptations, 



Instead of numbers, use names of animals or fruits or planets. 

10 



Getting People into Random Groups 

Activity 

Clumps 

Purpose 

To form small groups of randomly assigned people. 

Resources 

None 

Preparation 

None 

Timing 

5 minutes 

Participants 



This is designed to put participants into random groups. 

Ask pupils to clump themselves together with people who: 

Have their birthday in the same month as them. 

Ask groups to respond as you call out their month and repeat with 

for example: 

- people with the same eye colour 

- same shoe size 

- same number of siblings as you 

Finally, clump together in groups of 4 or 5 or any number as 

required by the facilitator 

Follow-up 

None 

Adaptations, 



None 

11 




Theme 1 

Activity 1 

What are Children’s Rights? 

Introducing the UNCRC 

Purpose 

To introduce the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the 

Child (UNCRC) as the basis for children and young people’s right 

to participate in decision-making. 

Resources 

Access to projector and screen or interactive whiteboard 

to play a DVD clip from the Pupil Voice Wales website. 

(www.pupilvoicewalese.org.uk) 

For Secondary Schools see link to Bilingual “Participation Rap” at: 

http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/secondary/get-involved/ 

children-and-young-peoples-participation/ 

For primary schools see link to “The UNCRC Story” at: 

http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/primary/about-us/unconvention-on-the-rights-of-children/ 

Preparation 

Ensure that the audio-visual equipment is all set up and working for 

pupils to watch these clips. 

Timing 

5 minutes - The Bi-lingual “Participation RAP” (Secondary) 

5 minutes - “The UNCRC story” (Primary) 

Participants 

These clips can be shown in assemblies for many pupils or as an 

introduction to a class session. 

12 




• Prepare the equipment (before the event) 

• Introduce the clips by explaining that in November 1989, 

the United Nations adopted the Convention on the 

Rights of the Child (UNCRC). 

• Explain what the UNCRC is - an agreement that has been 

adopted by nearly all the countries in the world that sets out 

what rights all children and young people everywhere should 

be entitled to. 

• Explain that the Welsh Assembly Government is committed 

to raising awareness of the UNCRC, and to ensuring that it 

is taken into account when decisions and laws are being 

made that affect children and young people. 

• Stress that Article 12 of the UNCRC is very important. It states 

that children have a right to say what they think should 

happen when adults are making decisions that affect them 

and to have their opinions taken into account. In school, this is 

called Pupil Participation or Pupil Voice. 

• Explain that this is part of a series of activities that have 

been designed to help you, as pupils, know more about 

pupil participation. 

Follow-up 

Once the clip has been shown, negotiate class time for pupils 

to undertake the activities from this module to develop their 

understanding of the UNCRC and pupil participation. 

Adaptations For further information see Pupil Voice Wales website - 

e.g.: http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/secondary/about-us/ 

what-is-participation/ 

The following link to the Funky Dragon web-site also takes you to 

a ten minute clip where young people talk about what participation 

means to them: 

http://www.funkydragon.org/en/fe/page.asp?n1=1478 

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Theme 1 

Activity 2 


UNCRC Balloon-activity 

Purpose 

To help pupils get to know the Articles of the United Nations 

Convention on the Rights of the Child and to explore what they 

mean for children and young people. 

Resources 

Sheet with the 42 Articles of the UNCRC in young people-friendly 

language or copies of the UNCRC “Let’s Get it Right” leaflet, 

downloadable at: 

http://www.uncrcletsgetitright.co.uk/resources2.aspx 

Hot-Air Balloon Activity Sheet 

Preparation 

Photocopy enough sheets of the 42 UNCRC Articles for everyone, 

or at least one copy per group. 

Photocopy the Hot Air Balloon Activity sheet. These should be 

A3 size - one copy per group. 

Timing 

20 - 30 minutes 

Participants 

Participants work in groups of 3-5 depending on numbers 


- Explain that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of 

the Child is an international agreement, stating what rights all 

children throughout the world are entitled to. 

- Explain that this is an activity to help us become more familiar 

with the UNCRC and to explore what it means for children and 

young people. 

- Divide the group into smaller groups of 3-5 participants. 

- Give out the 42 Articles sheets / leaflets, one per pupil, 

or enough so that all pupils can see a copy. 

- Allocate a certain amount of Articles to each group for them 

to consider (e.g. if you had 6 groups, Group 1 would look at 

Articles 1 - 7; Group 2 8 - 14, etc…). 

14 




(Cont’d) 

- Distribute the Hot Air Balloon sheets, A3 size, one per group. 

- Explain that their balloon is losing air so they need to lighten 

their load! From the Articles allocated to them, they have to 

decide on just one Article they would like to keep. The rest 

have to be ‘thrown overboard’. 

- Tell the groups they have 5 - 10 minutes to negotiate 

and agree as a group which Article is the most important 

one for them. They must be able to justify their choice. 

They can use any method they choose to come to a 

decision (e.g. voting, consensus…) 

- The groups now reconvene as a larger group and each 

group shares the Article they chose as the most importantexplaining 

why they made that choice. 

- Imagine now that the whole group is in one balloon and it is 

still losing air. If they could only keep one Article, which one 

would that be? Why? 

Follow-up 

This activity could lead on to the ‘UNCRC Assumptions 

and Implications’ activity in the grown-ups’ training pack. 

Participants might also like to consider why rights are important 

and why children and young people might need to have a special 

set of rights? Whose responsibility is it to ensure that children 

and young people know about their rights and are supported 

in accessing them? 

Adaptations, 



This activity is suitable for children and young people. 

Facilitators will need to ensure that their explanation of 

the UNCRC is jargon-free. 

15 




 

CCUHP - fersiwn gyfeillgar i blant / UNCRC - 

child-friendly version 

Erthygl 1 

Mae gan bawb o dan 18 oed yr hawliau hyn. 

Erthygl 2 

Mae gan bob plentyn yr hawliau hyn. 

Does dim ots pwy ydyn nhw, lle maen nhw’n 

byw, beth mae eu rhieni nhw’n wneud, 

pa iaith maen nhw’n siarad, beth yw eu 

crefydd, p’un ai a ydyn nhw’n fechgyn neu’n 

ferched neu’n dlawd neu’n gyfoethog, 

beth yw eu ffordd o fyw, a ydyn nhw’n anabl. 

Ddylai’r un plentyn gael ei drin yn annheg 

am unrhyw reswm. 

 

Article 1 

Article 2 

Everyone under 18 has these rights. 

All children have these rights, no matter 

who they are, where they live, what their 

parents do, what language they speak, 

what their religion is, whether they are a boy 

or girl, what their culture is, whether they 

have a disability, whether they are rich or 

poor. No child should be treated unfairly on 

any basis. 

 

Erthygl 3 

Erthygl 4 

 

Dylai pob oedolyn wneud yr hyn sy’ orau i ti. 

Pan fydd oedolyn yn penderfynu rhywbeth, 

dylai feddwl bob tro beth fydd effaith ei 

benderfyniad arnot ti. 

Mae cyfrifoldeb ar y llywodraeth i amddiffyn 

dy hawliau. Rhaid iddi helpu dy deulu i 

amddiffyn dy hawliau a chreu’r amodau i ti 

allu tyfu a gwneud popeth y medri di. 

Article 3 

Article 4 

 

All adults should do what is best for you. 

When adults make decisions, they should 

think about how their decisions will 

affect children. 

The government has a responsibility to make 

sure your rights are protected. They must 

help your family to protect your rights and 

create an environment where you can grow 

and reach your potential. 

 

16 



 



Erthygl 5 

Mae cyfrifoldeb ar dy deulu i dy 

ddysgu sut i ddefnyddio dy hawliau, 

ac i wneud yn siwr does dim yn bygwth 

dy hawliau. 

Erthygl 6 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i fod yn fyw. 

 

Article 5 

Article 6 

Your family has the responsibility to help you 

learn to exercise your rights, and to ensure 

that your rights are protected. 

You have the right to be alive. 

 

Erthygl 7 

Erthygl 8 

 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i enw, a dylai’r llywodraeth 

gydnabod dy enw’n swyddogol. Mae gen ti 

hawl i berthyn i wlad. 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i dy hunaniaeth - 

sef cofnod swyddogol o bwy wyt ti. Does gan 

neb yr hawl i fynd â hwn oddi arnot ti. 

Article 7 

Article 8 

You have the right to a name, and this 

should be officially recognized by the 

government. You have the right to a 

nationality (to belong to a country). 

You have the right to an identity - an official 

record of who you are. No one should take 

this away from you. 

 

Erthygl 9 

Erthygl 10 

 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i fyw gyda dy rieni, os nad 

yw hynny’n ddrwg i ti. Mae gen ti’r hawl 

i fyw gyda theulu sy’n gofalu ac yn poeni 

amdanot ti. 

Os wyt ti a dy rieni yn byw mewn gwledydd 

gwahanol, mae gennych chi’r hawl i fod 

gyda’ch gilydd yn yr un lle. 

Article 9 

Article 10 

You have the right to live with your parent(s), 

unless it is bad for you. You have the right to 

live with a family who cares for you. 

If you live in a different country than your 

parents do, you have the right to be together 

in the same place. 

 

 

17 




 



Erthygl 11 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i gael dy amddiffyn rhag 

cael dy herwgipio. 

Erthygl 12 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i ddweud dy farn, ac i 

oedolion wrando a chymryd dy farn o ddifrif. 

 

Article 11 

Article 12 

 

You have the right to be protected from 

kidnapping. 

Erthygl 13 

You have the right to give your opinion, 

and for adults to listen and take it seriously. 

Erthygl 14 

 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i ddysgu am bethau ac i 

rannu beth wyt ti’n feddwl trwy siarad, tynnu 

lluniau, ysgrifennu ac mewn unrhyw ffordd 

arall, cyn belled nad wyt ti’n gwneud drwg 

i deimladau neu’n anafu pobl eraill. 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i ddewis dy grefydd a dy 

gredoau. Dylai dy rieni dy helpu i benderfynu 

i wybod y gwahaniaeth rhwng beth sy’n 

gywir a beth sy’n anghywir, a beth sydd 

orau i ti. 

Article 13 

Article 14 

You have the right to find out things and 

share what you think with others, by talking, 

drawing, writing or in any other way unless 

it harms or offends other people. 

You have the right to choose your own 

religion and beliefs. Your parents should 

help you decide what is right and wrong, 

and what is best for you. 

 

Erthygl 15 

Erthygl 16 

 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i ddewis dy ffrindiau ac 

i ymuno â grwpiau ac i sefydlu grwpiau, 

cyn belled nad ydyn nhw ddim yn gwneud 

drwg i bobl eraill. 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i fywyd preifat. 

Article 15 

Article 16 

You have the right to choose your own 

friends and join or set up groups, as long 

as they aren’t harmful to others. 

You have the right to privacy. 

 

 

18 



 



Erthygl 17 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i gael gwybodaeth sy’n 

bwysig i dy les, oddi ar y radio, papurau 

newydd, llyfrau, cyfrifiaduron ac o lefydd 

eraill. Dylai oedolion wneud yn siwr nad 

yw’r wybodaeth rwyt ti’n ei chael yn gwneud 

drwg i ti, a dy helpu i gael hyd i’r wybodaeth 

sydd ei hangen arnot ti a’i deall. 

Erthygl 18 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i gael dy fagu gan dy rieni 

os ydy hynny’n bosibl. 

 

Article 17 

Article 18 

 

You have the right to get information that 

is important to your well-being, from radio, 

newspapers, books, computers and other 

sources. Adults should make sure that the 

information you are getting is not harmful, 

and help you find and understand the 

information you need. 

Erthygl 19 

You have the right to be raised by your 

parent(s) if possible. 

Erthygl 20 

 


cael dy anafu a dy gam-drin, yn gorfforol 

neu’n feddyliol. 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i gael gofal a help 

arbennig os dwyt ti ddim yn gallu byw gyda 

dy rieni. 

Article 19 

Article 20 

You have the right to be protected from 

being hurt and mistreated, in body or mind. 

You have the right to special care and help if 

you cannot live with your parents. 

 

 

19 




 



Erthygl 21 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i gael gofal a chael dy 

amddiffyn os wyt ti wedi dy fabwysiadu 

neu’n byw gyda rhieni maeth. 

Erthygl 22 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i gael dy amddiffyn a help 

arbennig os wyt ti’n ffoadur (os wyt ti’n cael 

dy orfodi i adael dy gartre’ a byw mewn 

gwlad arall), yn ogystal â’r hawl i holl 

hawliau’r Confensiwn. 

 

Article 21 

Article 22 

You have the right to care and protection 

if you are adopted or in foster care. 

You have the right to special protection 

and help if you are a refugee (if you have 

been forced to leave your home and live in 

another country), as well as the right to all 

the rights in this Convention. 

 

Erthygl 23 

Erthygl 24 

 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i addysg a gofal arbennig 

os oes gen ti anabledd, yn ogystal ag i 

holl hawliau’r Confensiwn hwn, er mwyn 

i ti allu byw bywyd llawn. 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i gael y gofal iechyd 

gorau sydd ar gael, dŵr glân i’w yfed, 

bwyd maethlon, amgylchedd glân a diogel, 

a gwybod sut i gadw’n iach. 

Article 23 

Article 24 

You have the right to special education and 

care if you have a disability, as well as all the 

rights in this Convention, so that you can live 

a full life. 

You have the right to the best health care 

possible, safe water to drink, nutritious 

food, a clean and safe environment, 

and information to help you stay well. 

 

 

20 



 



Erthygl 25 

Os wyt ti’n byw mewn cartref gofal neu 

rywle oddi cartref, dylai rhywun gadw golwg 

ar y lle hwnnw i wneud yn siwr ei fod yn 

addas i ti. 

Erthygl 26 

Os wyt ti’n dlawd neu’n anghenus, mae gen 

ti’r hawl i gael help gan y llywodraeth. 

 

 

Article 25 

If you live in care or in other situations away 

from home, you have the right to have these 

living arrangements looked at regularly to 

see if they are the most appropriate. 

Erthygl 27 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i gael bwyd, dillad, lle 

diogel i fyw a’r hyn sydd ei angen arnot i 

fyw. Ddylai dim anfantais dy rwystro rhag 

gwneud y pethau y mae plant eraill yn 

eu gwneud. 

Article 26 

You have the right to help from the 

government if you are poor or in need. 

Erthygl 28 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i addysg dda. Dylet ti gael 

dy annog i fynd i’r ysgol at y lefel uchaf sy’n 

addas i ti. 

 

 

Article 27 

You have the right to food, clothing, a safe 

place to live and to have your basic needs 

met. You should not be disadvantaged so 

that you can’t do many of the things other 

kids can do. 

Article 28 

You have the right to a good quality 

education. You should be encouraged to go 

to school to the highest level you can. 

 

21 




 



Erthygl 29 

Dylai dy addysg dy helpu i ddefnyddio a 

gwella dy dalentau a dy alluoedd. Dylai dy 

helpu hefyd i ddysgu sut i fyw mewn 

heddwch, i warchod yr amgylchedd ac 

i barchu pobl eraill. 

Erthygl 30 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i dy ddiwylliant, iaith a dy 

grefydd dy hun - neu i’w dewis. Mae angen 

amddiffyn lleiafrifoedd a grwpiau brodorol 

yn arbennig. 

 

Article 29 

Article 30 

Your education should help you use and 

develop your talents and abilities. It should 

also help you learn to live peacefully, 

protect the environment and respect 

other people. 

You have the right to practice your own 

culture, language and religion - or any you 

choose. Minority and indigenous groups 

need special protection of this right. 

 

Erthygl 31 

Erthygl 32 

 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i chwarae a gorffwys. 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i beidio â gorfod gwneud 

gwaith sy’n gwneud drwg i ti, dy iechyd a 

dy addysg. Os wyt ti’n gweithio, mae gen ti’r 

hawl i fod yn sâff ac i gael cyflog teg. 

Article 31 

Article 32 

You have the right to play and rest. 

You have the right to protection from work 

that harms you, and is bad for your health 

and education. If you work, you have the 

right to be safe and paid fairly. 

 

Erthygl 33 

Erthygl 34 

 


cyffuriau all wneud niwed i ti. 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i beidio â chael dy 

gam‐drin yn rhywiol. 

 

Article 33 

You have the right to protection from harmful 

drugs and from the drug trade. 

Article 34 

You have the right to be free from 

sexual abuse. 

 

22 



 



Erthygl 35 

Does gan neb yr hawl i dy herwgipio di na 

dy werthu. 

Erthygl 36 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i beidio â chael rhywun 

yn cymryd mantais ohonot ti. 

 

Article 35 

Article 36 

No one is allowed to kidnap or sell you. 

You have the right to protection from 

any kind of exploitation (being taken 

advantage of). 

 

Erthygl 37 

Erthygl 38 

 

Does gan neb yr hawl i dy gosbi di mewn 

ffordd greulon neu niweidiol. 


rhyfel ac i fyw heb ryfel. Does gan neb yr 

hawl i orfodi plentyn dan 15 i fynd yn filwr 

neu i ryfel. 

 

Article 37 

No one is allowed to punish you in a cruel or 

harmful way. 

Erthygl 39 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i gael help os wyt ti wedi 

cael dy anafu, dy esgeuluso neu dy drin 

yn wael. 

Article 38 

You have the right to protection and freedom 

from war. Children under 15 cannot be forced 

to go into the army or take part in war. 

Erthygl 40 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i gael help cyfreithiwr ac 

i gael dy drin yn deg gan system gyfreithiol 

sy’n parchu dy hawliau. 

 

Article 39 

Article 40 

You have the right to help if you have been 

hurt, neglected or badly treated. 

You have the right to legal help and fair 

treatment in the justice system that respects 

your rights. 

 

 

23 




 



Erthygl 41 

Os ydy dy wlad di yn rhoi hawliau i ti sy’n dy 

amddiffyn yn well na’r hawliau hyn, hawliau 

dy wlad sy’n dod gyntaf. 

Erthygl 42 

Mae gen ti’r hawl i wybod beth yw dy 

hawliau! Dylai oedolion wybod am 

yr hawliau hyn a dy helpu i ddysgu 

amdanynt hefyd. 

 

Article 41 

If the laws of your country provide better 

protection of your rights than the articles in 

this Convention, those laws should apply. 

Article 42 

You have the right to know your rights! Adults 

should know about these rights and help you 

learn about them, too. 

 

 

24 



25 




Theme 1 

Activity 3 


The UNCRC - What does it mean for me? 

Purpose 

To help pupils understand the UNCRC and how it affects them, 

including in school. 

Resources 

Opinion finder sheet with statements 

Flipchart paper and pen 

42 Articles of the UNCRC sheets for all pupils (see Theme 1, 

Activity 2) or leaflet of articles (downloadable from: 

http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/secondary/about-us/uncrc/ 

Agree / Disagree cards 

Preparation 

Print out agree / disagree cards on A4 paper or card. 

Make sure there are enough copies of the UNCRC articles 

for everyone to see. 

Timing 

45 minutes 

Participants 

Make sure there is enough space for participants to stand in 

a line. You can alternatively split pupils into smaller groups of 

3-5 participants and ask them to send one representative to 

the line. 


• Place the agree / disagree cards at opposite ends of the 

room, with the ‘Agree’ card at one end, and the ‘Disagree’ 

card at the other. 

• Explain that, in a minute, you will read some statements 

and ask pupils to place themselves on the line depending 

on whether they agree or disagree with each given statement. 

26 




(Cont’d) 

• Stress that there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers. It’s also 

okay to stand in the middle - or to change position if you 

change your mind! 

• Ask for feedback from participants after each statement. 

Comments can be recorded on a flipchart. 

• Give out the UNCRC sheets / leaflets, and introduce what 

the UNCRC is, drawing particular attention to Article 12. 

Explain that this article is all about children and young people 

having the right to have a say in decisions that affect them. 

This is true in school as well as in other areas of life. 

• Ask pupils to discuss in pairs which article they think is the 

most important and why. Ask them to share their discussion 

with the larger group. 

Follow-up 

The Opinion Finder activity is from the Welsh Assembly 

Government’s ‘Let’s Get it Right’ site http://www.uncrcletsgetitright. 

co.uk/default.aspx. See the link to the Toolkits that have been 

developed for both secondary and primary schools to promote 

the UNCRC. 

You can also find a quiz on the UNCRC and how it might 

affect you in school on the Pupil Voice Wales web-site at: 

http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/secondary/about-us/uncrc/ 

Adaptations 

If mobility is an issue, children or young people can use ‘thumbs up 

/ thumbs down’ to agree / disagree on the statements, or ask 

a classmate to place an object on the line for them to show 

their opinion. 

27 




Opinion finder sheet 

• Use the statements below to get discussion going about rights, who should have them 

and what they mean in practice. 

• 3 - 4 statements might be enough. Look out for signs of people losing interest! 

• You can add in your own statements, if you are aware of particular situations that may 

generate discussion. 

• After each statement, encourage people to explain why they have placed themselves in a 

certain position on the line, so that participants understand the implications of the statements. 

Example statement - Marmite is the best food in the world - walk through this as an example 

with one end being ‘I love it so much I eat it with a spoon’, leading to ‘I hate it so much it should 

be made illegal’. 

1. Children should be smacked if they have done something wrong 

2. All children and young people who live in Wales should learn to speak Welsh 

3. Children and young people should have a say in what and how they learn 

4. Only good children should be allowed to play as a treat 

5. Pupils in this school are listened to 

6. All children in the world should go to school 

7. Only young people who behave should have access to their rights 

8. All children and young people should be able to eat fast food 

A good follow-up to this activity may be the UNCRC quiz, which is downloadable from the Pupil Voice 

Wales web-site at: http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/secondary/about-us/uncrc/ 

28 



Dalen mynegi barn 

• Defnyddiwch y datganiadau isod i gychwyn trafodaeth am hawliau, pwy ddylai eu cael a beth 

maen nhw’n ei olygu’n ymarferol. 

• Mae’n bosibl y bydd 3 - 4 datganiad yn ddigon. Cadwch olwg am arwyddion o bobl 

yn colli diddordeb! 

• Gallwch ychwanegu eich datganiadau eich hun, os ydych yn ymwybodol o sefyllfaoedd 

arbennig allai ysgogi trafodaeth. 

• Ar ôl pob datganiad, ceisiwch annog pobl i egluro pam eu bod wedi eu gosod eu hunain mewn 

safle penodol ar y llinell, fel bod cyfranogwyr yn deall goblygiadau’r datganiadau. 

Enghraifft o ddatganiad posibl - Marmite yw’r bwyd gorau yn y byd - cerddwch ar hyd y llinell gan 

ddangos bod y naill ben yn golygu ‘Rwy’n ei garu cymaint rwy’n ei fwyta gyda llwy’, a bod y pen arall 

yn golygu ‘Rwy’n ei gasáu cymaint dylai gael ei wneud yn anghyfreithlon’. 

1. Dylai plant gael slap os ydynt wedi gwneud rhywbeth drwg 

2. Dylai’r holl blant a phobl ifanc sy’n byw yng Nghymru ddysgu siarad Cymraeg 

3. Dylai plant a phobl ifanc gael dweud eu barn am beth maen nhw’n ei ddysgu a sut 

4. Dim ond plant da ddylai gael chwarae fel gwobr 

5. Mae pobl yn gwrando ar yr hyn sydd gan ddisgyblion i’w ddweud yn yr ysgol hon 

6. Dylai holl blant y byd fynd i’r ysgol 

7. Dim ond pobl ifanc sy’n bihafio ddylai gael defnyddio eu hawliau 

8. Dylai plant a phobl ifanc gael bwyta bwyd cyflym 

Dilyniant da i’r gweithgaredd hwn fyddai cwis y CCUHP Gallwch, ei lawrlwytho o wefan Llais 

Disgyblion Cymru sef: http://www.llaisdisgyblioncymru.org.uk/uwchradd/amdanom-ni/ccuhp/ 

29 




 

 

Cytuno’n Gryf 

Strongly Agree 

 

 

Anghytuno’n Gryf 

Strongly Disagree 

 

 

30 



Theme 2 

Activity 4 

What is Pupil Participation? 

Children and Young People’s Participation 

in Wales - the Big Picture 

Purpose 

To help pupils understand important policies and structures 

supporting children and young people’s participation in Wales 

in a fun way. 

Resources 

Matching Headings and Definitions sheet 

Preparation 

Photocopy Matching Headings and Definitions onto card and cut up 

Timing 


Participants 

Participants work as a group and then in pairs. 


• Give each participant either a HEADING or a DEFINITION card. 

Ask participants to move around an open space and try to 

find their partner. 

• There are 24 cards altogether. Adjust the number of cards 

to match the number of participants. You can duplicate 

some cards if your group is greater than 24. In case of an 

odd number you can join in yourself. Once the partners 

have found one another they can work together for the 

next activity. 

• Ask each partner to share their heading and definition 

with the group. 

31 




Follow-up 

You can do a hand vote to determine who has heard of these 

headings as a measure of how aware people are, e.g. put your 

hand in the air if you have ever heard of Funky Dragon. This gives 

you an idea of what people already know. 

You could also lead a general discussion: Why are these policies 

and structures important? How do they affect me? 

Adaptations 

Make sure pupils understand the language used, e.g. WAG is 

the Welsh Assembly Government. It may need to be simplified for 

primary school use. 

This activity sets the scene for other activities in this pack, in that 

it helps young people to understand the context of children and 

young people’s participation in Wales. 

32 



Cyfateb cardiau pennawd a diffiniad / Matching heading 

and definition cards 

 

 

CCUHP (Confensiwn Cenhedloedd Unedig 

ar Hawliau Plant) 

Fframwaith rhyngwladol ar gyfer 

hawliau plant. 

The UNCRC (United Nations Convention 

on the Rights of the Child) 

An international framework 

for children’s rights. 

 

 

Comisiynydd Plant 

Children’s Commissioner 

Swydd a gaiff ei hariannu gan arian 

cyhoeddus ac sy’n gyfrifol am amddiffyn 

hawliau plant yn unol â CCUHP. 

A publicly funded post with responsibility for 

protecting children’s rights as set out in the 

UNCRC. 

 

 

Y Ddraig Ffynci 

Funky Dragon 

Senedd Plant a Phobl Ifanc 

yng Nghymru. 

The Children and Young People’s 

Assembly for Wales. 

 

 

33 




 

 

Safonau Cyfranogiad Cenedlaethol i Blant 

a Phobl Ifanc yng Nghymru 

The National Children and Young People’s 

Participation Standards for Wales 

Y mae’r saith safon yn seiliedig 

ar egwyddorion cyfranogiad craidd 

a gymeradwywyd gan bobl ifanc. 

The seven standards are based on the core 

principles of participation and approved 

by young people. 

 

 

Partneriaethau Plant a Phobl Ifanc 

Y mae’r partneriaethau hyn yn 

trosglwyddo gwasanaethau lleol i blant 

a phobl ifanc 0 - 19 mlwydd oed. 

Children and Young People’s Partnerships 

These partnerships plan and deliver local 

services for children and young people 

from 0 - 19 years. 

 

Fforwm Ieuenctid 

Y mae gan bob awdurdod lleol yng 

Nghymru Fforwm Ieuenctid i alluogi pobl 

ifanc 11 - 25 mlwydd oed i gael llais ar 

faterion sydd yn effeithio arnynt megis tai, 

diogelwch cymunedol, iechyd. 

 

 

Youth Forum 

Each local authority area in Wales has 

a Youth Forum to enable 11 - 25 year olds 

to have their voices heard on issues that 

affect them such as housing, community 

safety, health. 

 

34 



 

 

Cyngor Ysgol 

School Council 

Rhaid i bob ysgol gynradd, uwchradd 

ac arbennig gael cyngor ysgol etholedig 

sydd yn cwrdd yn rheolaidd. 

Every primary, secondary and special 

school in Wales must have an elected school 

council that meets regularly. 

 

 

Disgybl Lywodraethwyr 

Associate Pupil Governors 

Mewn ysgolion uwchradd gall y cyngor ysgol 

enwebu dau aelod o Flynyddoedd 11, 12, neu 

13 i fod yn Ddisgybl Lywodraethwyr (APGs). 

In secondary schools the school council 

can nominate two of their members from 

Years 11, 12 or 13 to be Associate Pupil 

Governors (APGs). 

 

 

Adolygiad Cenedlaethol ar Ymddygiad 

a Phresenoldeb 

National Behaviour and Attendance 

Review 

Adolygiad pwysig gan Lywodraeth y 

Cynulliad ynglŷn â pholisi ysgol a wnaed gan 

gynnwys barn plant a phobl ifanc. 

A major WAG review of policy in schools 

that involved children and young people 

giving their views. 

 

 

35 




 

 

Llwybrau Dysgu 14 - 19 

14-19 Learning Pathways 

Disgwyliad gan Lywodraeth y Cynulliad 

fod barn dysgwyr yn cael ei hystyried wrth 

ddatblygu cwricwla yn lleol. 

WAG expectation that learners are consulted 

when local area curricula are developed. 

 

 

Fframwaith Effeithiolrwydd Ysgolion 

School Effectiveness Framework 

Prif bolisi addysg Llywodraeth y Cynulliad 

sydd yn anelu at wella dysgu a lles pob 

plentyn a pherson ifanc oedran ysgol 

yng Nghymru. 

The main WAG education policy that 

aims to improve learning and wellbeing 

for all school aged children and young 

people in Wales. 

 

 

Estyn 

Swyddfa Arolygiaeth dros Addysg 

a Hyfforddiant yng Nghymru. Mae gofyn 

i arolygwyr Estyn ‘wrando ar ddysgwyr’ 

yn ystod arolygiadau ysgolion. 

The education and training inspectorate 

for Wales. There is a requirement for Estyn 

inspectors to ‘listen to learners’ during school 

inspections. 

 

 

36 



Theme 2 

Activity 5 


The National Children and Young People’s 

Participation Standards for Wales 

Purpose 

To give pupils an understanding of the National Children 

and Young People’s Participation Standards for Wales. 

Resources 

Flipchart paper and pens 

Access to the National Standards DVD clip: http://www. 

participationworkerswales.org.uk/standards/default.aspx 

Standards Statements (true / false) 

True/False cards 

National Children and Young People’s Standards posters - one for 

every pupil - downloadable at: http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/ 

secondary/about-us/what-is-participation/ 

Or copies of black-and-white version of the Standards 

Preparation 

Prepare Flipchart with heading: “What standards would you expect 

from a Bicycle?” 

Cut up Standards Statements - enough copies for one Statement 

per group of 2 - 3 pupils 

Print out the TRUE/FALSE cards 

Make sure that every pupil can see a copy of the National 

Participation Standards 

Timing 

Up to 55 minutes - to include the following: 

• 10 minutes for the Ideas brainstorm on bicycle standards. 

• Up to 20 minute National Standards DVD clip: http://www. 

participationworkerswales.org.uk/standards/default.aspx 

(*You may may need to show this in sections, because of its 

length. The Introduction could be used in the first instance.) 

• 15 minutes on the True / False activity and follow-up discussion. 

• 10 minutes on standard posters. 

37 




Participants 

Participants should sit in a horseshoe style (without desks). 

They work individually at first but then in pairs and groups. 

Outline of Activity • Introduce the idea of having standards for different things, 2 

e.g. ask pupils to call out what standards they would expect 

in a bike, and record answers on the prepared flipchart 

e.g. safe, easy and fun to ride, comfortable seat etc. 

• Ask the group: What are Standards? Why is it important 

to have Standards? 

• Introduce the National Children and Young People’s 

Standards posters and explain that they aim to show what 

standards organisations should pay attention to when 

consulting with children and young people and involving 

them in making decisions. 

• Show the National Standards DVD clip if you have time 

(perhaps the introduction in the first instance). 

• Lay the TRUE / FALSE cards on the floor and give each group 

of 2-3 people a statement to consider. Ask them to discuss 

their statement before placing it on the floor next to ‘True’ 

or ‘False’. 

• Discuss with the group which statements they think are 

true or false and which statements they think are important. 

Where are things in their school at the moment in terms 

of respecting and implementing the Standards? How could 

things be improved? (Note ideas down on flipchart). 

• Give out a copy of the National Children and Young People’s 

Standards poster or a black and white version of the 

Standards to each pupil, and split participants into seven 

groups so that each group gets to focus on one Standard. 

• Ask each group to think about why this Standard is important 

if you’re being asked to take part in decision-making. 

Ask someone from each group to feedback. 

Follow-up 

This activity can lead into Activity 6 ‘The National Participation 

Standards in Practice’ which provides more concrete examples of 

how the Standards can be implemented in a school setting. 

This activity can also be linked to the ESTYN Pupil Survey Activity 

(Activity 12). 

2 Adapted from the Blast Off Guides (Save the Children) 

38 



Adaptations 

For primary school pupils, a sticker book has been developed 

for pupils to think about how their school meets the Standards, 

see www.participationworkerswales.org.uk 

39 




 

 

Cywir 

True 

 

 

Anghywir 

False 

 

 

40 



Standards statements - true or false 

 

 

Participation is about parties 

 

 

There are 10 National Participation Standards 

 

 

You need to have proper information to make a good decision 

 

 

Our school gives a choice of things to get involved in 

 

 

Our school never asks our opinion 

 

 

 

Children and Young People don’t care what goes on in our school 

The staff in our school listen to us 

 

 

Every child or young person should have the same opportunity to be listened to and have their views 

taken into account 

 

 

Children and Young People are experts on their own lives 

 

 

N.B. 

For primary school edit out young people 

For secondary school edit out children 

41 




Datganiadau am safonau - cywir neu anghywir 

 

 

Rhywbeth i’w wneud â phartïon yw cyfranogiad 

 

 

 

Mae yna 10 o Safonau Cyfranogiad Cenedlaethol 

Mae angen gwybodaeth iawn arnoch i wneud penderfyniad da 

 

 

Mae ein hysgol ni yn rhoi dewis o bethau i gymryd rhan ynddyn nhw 

 

 

Dydy ein hysgol ni byth yn gofyn ein barn 

 

 

 

Does dim ots gan Blant a Phobl Ifanc beth sy’n mynd ymlaen yn ein hysgol ni 

Mae’r staff yn ein hysgol ni yn gwrando arnon ni 

 

 

Dylai pob plentyn neu berson ifanc gael yr un cyfle i gael gwrandawiad ac i’w syniadau nhw gael 

eu hystyried 

 

 

Mae Plant a Phobl Ifanc yn arbenigwyr ar eu bywydau eu hunain 

 

D.S. 

Ar gyfer ysgol gynradd dilëwch pobl ifanc 

Ar gyfer ysgol uwchradd dilëwch plant 

42 



Cardiau Safonau Cyfranogiad Cenedlaethol 

Fersiwn i’w Llungopïo 

National Participation Standards Cards 

Photocopiable Versions 

Gwybodaeth 

Ystyr hyn yw: 

• Gwybodaeth sy’n hawdd i bawb ei deall. 

• Oedolion yn gweithio gyda chi sy’n gwybod beth sy’n digwydd ac sy’n agored ac yn glir. 

Byddwn: 

• Yn sicrhau bod pawb yn cael digon o wybodaeth i gymryd rhan yn iawn. 

• Yn dweud wrthych chi sut y bydd y ffaith eich bod chi’n cymryd rhan yn gwneud gwahaniaeth. 

• Yn dweud wrthych chi pwy sy’n mynd i wrando a newid pethau. 

Information 

This means: 

• Information is easy to understand for everyone. 

• Adults working with you know what is going on and are up front and clear. 

We will: 

• Ensure everyone has enough information to get properly involved. 

• Let you know what difference you being involved will make. 

• Inform you about who is going to listen and make changes. 

43 




Eich Dewis Chi 

Ystyr hyn yw: 

• Mai chi sy’n dewis a ydych chi am gymryd rhan neu beidio. 

• Mai chi sy’n cael dewis gweithio ar bethau sy’n bwysig i chi. 

• Mai chi sy’n dewis beth rydych chi’n ei wneud a sut. 

Byddwn: 

• Yn rhoi digon o wybodaeth ac amser i chi benderfynu a ydy hyn yn rhywbeth yr ydych chi eisiau 

ei wneud ai peidio. 

It’s Your Choice 

This means: 

• You choose if you want to get involved or not. 

• You choose to work on things that are important to you. 

• You choose what you do and how you do it. 

We will: 

• Give you enough information and time to decide if this is something you want to do. 

44 



Dim Gwahaniaethu 

Ystyr hyn yw: 

• Bod plant a phobl ifanc i gyd yn wahanol ond bod gan bob un ohonoch yr un hawl i gael 

dweud eich dweud am faterion sy’n bwysig i chi. 

• Rydym eisiau i bawb deimlo eu bod yn cael croeso a’u bod yn gallu cymryd rhan os ydyn nhw’n 

dymuno gwneud hynny. 

Byddwn: 

• Yn herio unrhyw wahaniaethu. 

• Yn cysylltu â phlant a phobl ifanc mewn llawer o wahanol sefyllfaoedd. 

• Yn eich cael chi i gymryd rhan yn y pethau rydych chi am gymryd rhan ynddyn nhw. 

No Discrimination 

This means: 

• Children and young people are all different but you all have the same right to have a say about 

things that matter to you. 

• We want everyone to feel welcome and be able to get involved if they want to. 

We will: 

• Challenge any discrimination. 

• Get in touch with children and young people in lots of different situations. 

• Get you involved in things you want to do. 

45 




Parch 

Ystyr hyn yw: 

• Bod gan bawb gyfle i ddweud eu dweud, bod eich barn yn bwysig ac y byddwn yn ei pharchu. 

Byddwn: 

• Yn gwrando ar eich syniadau, eich safbwyntiau a’ch profiadau. 

• Yn eich cymryd chi o ddifri ac yn eich trin chi’n deg. 

• Yn gweithio gyda chi i wneud rhywbeth am y materion sy’n bwysig i chi. 

• Yn gweithio gyda chi i’ch helpu i newid pethau er gwell. 

Respect 

This means: 

• Everyone has a chance to have a say, your opinions are important and we will respect them. 

We will: 

• Listen to your ideas, views and experiences. 

• Take you seriously and treat you fairly. 

• Work with you to do something about the things you tell us are important. 

• Work with you to help change things for the better. 

46 



Byddwch chi ar eich ennill hefyd 

Ystyr hyn yw: 

• Ein bod ni am i chi fwynhau ac elwa ar y broses o gymryd rhan. 

• Ein bod yn gwybod bod gennych bethau eraill i’w gwneud yn eich bywydau hefyd! 

• Sicrhau bod cymryd rhan yn brofiad cadarnhaol, nid negyddol. 

Byddwn: 

• Yn gweithio mewn ffyrdd diogel, pleserus, llawn hwyl. 

• Yn gwneud yn fawr o’r yr hyn rydych yn ei wybod. 

• Yn gwneud pethau cadarnhaol sy’n meithrin eich hyder. 

• Yn cwrdd mewn llefydd cyfeillgar sy’n hwylus i bobl ifanc. 

• Yn gwerthfawrogi ac yn parchu’r hyn sydd gennych i’w gynnig. 

You get something out of it 

This means: 

• We want you to enjoy and benefit from taking part. 

• We know that you have other things to do in your lives as well! 

• Making sure that participating is a positive mot a negative experience. 

We will: 

• Work in a safe, fun and enjoyable way. 

• Make the most of what you know. 

• Do positive things that build your confidence. 

• Meet in friendly places that are easy for you to use. 

• Value and respect what you have to offer. 

47 




Adborth 

Ystyr hyn yw: 

• Mae’n bwysig iawn eich bod yn gwybod pa wahaniaeth rydych wedi’i wneud a sut y mae’ch 

syniadau wedi cael eu defnyddio. 

Byddwn: 

• Yn rhoi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i chi am beth sy’n digwydd. 

• Yn rhoi adborth i chi cyn gynted ag sy’n bosib a hynny mewn ffordd hawdd ei deall. 

Feedback 

This means: 

• It’s really important that you know what difference you have made and how your ideas 

have been used. 

We will: 

• Keep you up to date with what is happening. 

• Give feedback as soon as possible and in ways that are easy to understand. 

48 



Gwella ein Ffordd o Weithio 

Ystyr hyn yw: 

• Ein bod ni eisiau dysgu a gwella ein ffordd o weithio gyda chi. 

Byddwn: 

• Yn edrych ar ein ffordd o weithio gyda chi a sut mae gwella ar hynny. 

• Yn gofyn i chi beth sydd wedi mynd yn dda a beth sydd angen ei newid. 

• Yn sicrhau bod eich barn yn gwneud gwahaniaeth i sut y byddwn ni’n cynllunio 

ac yn gwneud penderfyniadau. 

Improving how we work 

This means: 

• We want to learn and get better at the way we work with you. 

We will: 

• Look at the way we work with you and how to improve it. 

• Ask you what has gone well and what needs to change. 

• Make sure your views make a difference to the way we make plans and decisions. 

49 




Theme 2 

Activity 6 

Purpose 


The National Participation Standards in Practice 

To give pupils an understanding of the National Children and 

Young People’s Participation Standards for Wales and how they 

fit into what happens in school. 

Resources 

Standards Scenarios on card 

Paper and pens / pencils 

National Children and Young People’s Standards posters. 

Downloadable at: http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/secondary/ 

about-us/what-is-participation 

Or copies of black and white versions of the standards 

(see Theme 2, Activity 5) 

Preparation 

Cut up the Standard Scenarios 

Timing 

30 minutes 

Participants 

Get participants into six groups. 


• Introduce the Participation Standards poster (or black 

and white version of the Standards) and give a copy to 

each group. 

• Explain that when young people take part in school there 

should be standards about how much young people are 

involved in having a say, and how well this is done. 

• Give each group paper and pen / pencil to write notes and 

explain that the next activity will take 10-20 minutes. Ask them 

to use the Participation Standards poster for guidance. 

• Give each group one of the Standards Scenarios and ask 

them to think about how they would complete this task using 

the posters as guidance. 

• Ask each group to feedback their scenario and outline how 

they would ensure this met the Standards. 

50 



Follow-up This activity can be linked to ESTYN survey activity (Theme 3, 

Activity 12). 

Adaptations 

None. 

51 




Senarios Safonau / Standards Scenarios 

 

 

1. Mae’r llywodraethwyr yn adolygu’r polisi Bwyd a Ffitrwydd. Maen nhw wedi gofyn i’r uwch 

reolwyr ddarparu adborth gan ddisgyblion a sicrhau eu bod yn bodloni’r Safonau Cyfranogiad 

Cenedlaethol. Sut allen nhw wneud hyn? 

1. The governors are reviewing the Food and Fitness policy. They have asked senior managers 

to provide feedback from pupils and make sure they meet the National Participation Standards. 

How could they do this? 

 

 

2. Mae’r ysgol wedi derbyn grant Eco-Ysgolion annisgwyl yn ddiweddar. Sut gallai’r uwch reolwyr 

sicrhau eu bod yn cynnwys disgyblion yn y broses o benderfynu sut caiff yr arian ei wario a 

bodloni’r Safonau Cyfranogiad Cenedlaethol? 

 

2. The school has recently received an unexpected Eco-Schools grant. How could senior managers 

make sure they involve pupils in deciding how the money will be spent and meet the National 

Participation Standards? 

 

 

3. Mae’r staff yn trefnu trip ysgol i’r disgyblion. Pa gamau allen nhw eu cymryd i sicrhau bod 

eu cynlluniau’n bodloni’r Safonau Cyfranogiad Cenedlaethol? 

3. Staff are planning a school trip for pupils. What steps could they take to make sure their planning 

meets the National Participation Standards? 

 

 

52 



 

4. Mae’r staff yn trefnu rhaglen ‘tu allan i oriau ysgol’ y tymor hwn. Sut gallan nhw sicrhau 

bod barn disgyblion yn cael ei chynnwys wrth gynllunio a’i bod yn bodloni’r Safonau 

Cyfranogiad Cenedlaethol? 

 

4. Staff are planning this term’s ‘out of school hours’ programme. How can they make 

sure that the opinions of pupils are built into the planning and that it meets the National 

Participation Standards? 

 

 

5. Mae’r ysgol yn cynllunio adolygiad o addysgu a dysgu a fydd yn sail i’r cynllun gwella ysgol. Sut 

allen nhw sicrhau bod barn disgyblion yn cael ei chynrychioli yn yr adolygiad a’i fod yn bodloni’r 

Safonau Cyfranogiad Cenedlaethol? 

5. The school is planning a review of teaching and learning which will feed into the school 

improvement plan. How can they make sure that the views of pupils are represented 

in the review and it meets the National Participation Standards? 

 

 

6. Mae’r ysgol yn cynllunio adolygiad o’r trefniadau teithio. Sut gallan nhw sicrhau bod 

barn disgyblion yn cael ei chynnwys yn eu cynlluniau ac y bydd yn bodloni’r Safonau Cyfranogiad 

Cenedlaethol? 

6. The school is planning a review of school transport arrangements. How can they 

make sure that the views of pupils are built into their planning and that it will meet 

the National Participation Standards? 

 

 

53 




Theme 2 

Activity 7 

Purpose 

Resources 


Defining Pupil Participation 

To help pupils define what is meant by participation in general 

and pupil participation in particular. 

Flipchart, flipchart pens and post-its and pens / pencils. 

Welsh Assembly Government Participation sound-bite on card - 

one per group. 

Preparation 

Timing 

Participants 


Prepare enough copies of the WAG Participation sound-bite 

on card so that there’s one per group. 

30 minutes 

Participants sit in a horseshoe, without desks. They work 

individually to begin with, then in small groups (e.g. 5 - 6 people) 

• Give each pupil one post-it each, and ask them to write 

on their post-it what they think participation means. 

• Ask pupils to share their definition with a partner. 

• Now ask each pair to join another pair to make up groups of 

four, discuss their definitions and come to an agreed definition 

for their group. If time, ask each group to share their definition 

with the larger group. 

• Give each group a card with the WAG Participation 

sound-bite. Explain that this sound-bite was written by a 

young person from Caerphilly and was the winning entry in 

a national competition. This is now used as the ‘official’ WAG 

definition of participation. 

• Ask the groups to discuss the ‘official’ definition, compared 

to the one their group came up with, whilst stressing that this 

is not necessarily any better or more correct. 

• Give each group a piece of flipchart paper and flipchart 

pens. Ask them to do a mind-map or spidergram of 

all the opportunities there are for pupils to participate 

in decision-making in their school at the moment. 

Follow-up This activity is a good introduction to the activities in Theme 3, 

where pupils start looking at how to put pupil participation into 

practice in their school. 

Adaptations 

54 



Diffiniad Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru o Gyfranogiad 

“Ystyr cyfranogiad yw bod gennyf yr hawl 

i fod yn rhan o wneud penderfyniadau, 

o gynllunio ac o adolygu unrhyw gam 

a allai effeithio arnaf i. 

Cael llais, cael dewis” 

Welsh Assembly Government Participation Sound-bite 

“Participation means that it is my right 

to be involved in making decisions, 

planning and reviewing any action 

that might affect me. 

Having a voice, having a choice” 

55 




Theme 2 

Activity 8 

Purpose 


The Benefits of Participation 

To outline the benefits of pupil participation. 

Resources 

Post-its 

Flipchart Paper 

Handout: Benefits of Participation 

Preparation 

Photocopy enough of the Benefits of Participation handout so that 

there is one per group. 

Timing 

20 minutes 

Participants 

Ask pupils to sit in a circle of chairs facing each other. 


• Split pupils into groups of three and give each of them 

nine post-its. 

• Ask pupils to think of reasons why it’s a good thing for them 

to be consulted and involved when decisions are being made 

in school. How do pupils gain by people asking their opinion, 

or through being involved in groups such as the school 

council, eco-committee, etc? Ask them to write one reason 

per post-it note. If they need help, give them a copy of the 

Benefits handout. 

• Give each group a piece of flipchart paper. Ask them to 

discuss their post-its in their group and to come to a group 

agreement which ones are most important. They then 

prioritise their post-it notes in a diamond shape with the most 

important at the top, and the least important at the bottom, 

as illustrated on the left. 

• If necessary, start by giving an example of your own. 

• When everyone has finished creating their diamond, 

ask each group to share their top three benefits with 

the rest of the group, and explain why these are their 

preferred choices. 

56 



Follow-up 

The benefits diamonds drawn up by the pupils could be posted 

around the school on notice-boards or put up on the school 

council notice-board to raise awareness of why it’s a good 

thing to get involved in decision-making in school. 

Adaptations 

To support any pupils who may have difficulties with writing, 

ask groups to select one person or have a volunteer in each 

group who can act as ‘scribe’ and note down the group’s ideas 

on the post-its. 

57 




Manteision cyfranogiad disgyblion 

Mae Cyfranogiad Disgyblion neu Llais Disgyblion yn ymwneud â disgyblion yn cael digonedd 

o gyfleoedd i leisio eu barn, a chymryd rhan yn y broses o wneud penderfyniadau a gwella pethau 

yn eu cymuned ysgol. 

Pam mae hyn yn syniad da? Sut mae hyn yn gwneud ysgol yn brofiad gwell i blant a phobl ifanc? 

Pa sgiliau maen nhw’n eu meistroli yn sgil hynny? 

Dyma rai syniadau. Allwch chi ychwanegu atynt? 

1. Mae’n fy helpu i deimlo’n fwy hyderus ac yn cynyddu fy hunan-barch. 

2. Mae’n gwneud i mi deimlo fod fy syniadau’n cyfri. 

3. Mae’n fy helpu i deimlo’n fwy cadarnhaol am yr ysgol, oherwydd bod pobl yn gwrando, 

a phethau’n digwydd o ganlyniad i hynny. 

4. Trwy gymryd rhan, rydw i’n dysgu sgiliau newydd fel sut i gyfleu fy safbwynt, sut i wrando 

ar eraill, a sut i weithio mewn grwˆp i gyflawni pethau. 

5. Am fod athrawon yn gwrando ac yn cymryd ein syniadau o ddifri, mae disgyblion ac athrawon 

yn gyrru ymlaen yn well gyda’i gilydd. 

6. Mae’n golygu fod gen i lawer o gyfleoedd i gymryd rhan yn fy ysgol. 

7. Am fod disgyblion yn cael dweud eu dweud, mae’r ysgol yn well lle i ddysgu. 

Am restr o fanteision ehangach Cyfranogi ar gyfer plant, pobl ifanc, 

sefydliadau a’r gymuned ehangach, gweler gwefan Llais Disgyblion Cymru: 

http://www.llaisdisgyblioncymru.org.uk/uwchradd/amdanon-ni/pam-cyfranogi/ 

a http://www.llaisdisgyblioncymru.org.uk/oedolion/amdanon-ni/manteision-cyfranogi/ 

58 



Benefits of pupil participation 

Pupil Participation or Pupil Voice is about pupils having lots of opportunities to express their opinion, 

and to get involved in making decisions and improving things in their school community. 

Why is this a good idea? How does this make school a better experience for children and young 

people? What skills do they gain as a result? 

Here are some ideas. Can you add to them? 

1. It helps me to feel more confident and increases my self-esteem. 

2. It makes me feel that my opinions matter. 

3. It helps me feel more positive about school, because people listen, and things happen 

as a result. 

4. By getting involved, I learn new skills such as how to put my point across, how to listen 

to others and represent their opinion, and how to work in a group to get things done. 

5. Because teachers listen and take our opinions seriously, pupils and teachers get 

on better together. 

6. It means that I have lots of opportunities to become involved in my school. 

7. Because pupils have a say, the school is a better place to learn. 

For a list of wider benefits of Participation for children, young people, 

organisations and the wider community, see the Pupil Voice Wales web-site: 

http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/secondary/about-us/why-participate/ 

and http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/grown-ups/about-us/benefits-of-participation/ 

59 




Theme 3 

Activity 9 

Purpose 

Pupil Participation in Practice 

Bricks in the Wall 

To explore the barriers to effective pupil participation and possible 

solutions to them. 

Resources 

Flipchart with a picture of a landscape and a wall with a gap 

in the middle (see example after this activity). 

Blank cards (A6 size) representing bricks - at least one for each 

participant. 

Preparation 

Prepare the flipchart by drawing a landscape on it, with a wall in 

the foreground. There should be a gap in the middle of the wall, 

allowing people to look through to the landscape beyond. 

Ensure you have enough blank cards - at least one for 

each participant. 

Timing 

Participants 

Outline of the Activity 


Participants work individually and as a whole group 

• Introduce the flipchart - the landscape represents effective 

pupil participation; the wall represents barriers to participation 

which need to be worked through. 

• Make sure pupils are clear about what Pupil Participation 

is - e.g. ‘Pupil participation is about developing a culture in 

schools where all children and young people have a voice 

and have the opportunity to play an active role in decisions 

that affect their learning and well-being.’ 3 

• Hand out 1 - 2 ‘bricks’ to each participant - using different 

coloured card for different groups (e.g. different year groups, 

boys /girls, ….) 

• Ask participants to write on one side of their ‘brick’ what they 

see as potential barriers to effective pupil participation and to 

place these on the wall. (This should mean that the wall builds 

up and hides the beautiful landscape!) 

3 Definition sourced from Pupil Voice Wales website - see link at the bottom of this page. 

60 




(Cont’d) 

Follow-up 

Adaptations 

• Participants should then look at all of the bricks and 

pick up one which speaks to them - but not the one they 

themselves contributed! 

• Ask participants to consider the challenge they have picked 

up, turn the ‘brick’ over and write a possible solution on 

the reverse side. 

• Participants should share their barriers and possible solutions 

with the group. 

• Cards can then be placed back on the wall in clusters 

e.g. pupils barriers, staff barriers etc. 

This activity can lead into action planning and be relevant 

in discussing how solutions will be implemented. 

If the group is a mixed adult / pupil group, different coloured 

cards could be used to highlight any differences in the barriers 

experienced by pupils and adults and worked into an action plan. 

Bricks in the wall - Sample picture 

61 




Theme 3 

Activity 10 

Purpose 


What Pupil Participation looks like in practice 

To provide pupils with practical examples and ideas on how 

to encourage pupil participation in their school. 

Resources 

Good Practice Case Studies: Pupil Participation in Practice 

Packet of Minstrels x 2 

Flipchart paper and pens 

Preparation 

Photocopy the case studies onto card and stick them up around 

the room. 

Timing 

45 minutes: 25 minutes to share and develop case studies; 

20 minutes for Minstrel debate. 

Participants 

Arrange space for pupils to be grouped into groups of six. 


• Begin by splitting pupils into groups of six and asking them 

to number themselves from 1 to 6. 

• Explain that there are numbered case studies around the 

room. Each person should go to their allocated number, 

read the case study and think about: 

1. Is this a good way to involve pupils in school? 

2. Could this work in our school? 

3. What would we do differently in our school? 

• In their numbered groups, allow pupils time to read the case 

study, then to discuss the above questions. Each group should 

ask one member to note down the main points discussed. 

• Ask pupils to return to the larger group and share the case 

studies they considered, and main discussion points which 

arose from them. 

62 




(Cont’d) 

• Minstrel Debate: This activity follows on from the above 

activity by enabling pupils to discuss the question: 

‘How can we encourage more effective pupil participation 

in our school?’ The Minstrel Debate technique allows pupils 

to discuss a topic in a way that allows everyone to have a 

say, and makes sure that some pupils don’t dominate the 

discussion. 

• Sit pupils in a circle and give two Minstrels to each of them, 

which indicate their right to talk (no more than one minute 

per Minstrel). If people whisper or talk over one other, 

their Minstrel should be taken away and once a pupil has 

made two contributions, they must keep quiet. Minstrels can 

be used to agree, disagree or to add to other contributions. 

Once the debate has ended, allow pupils to make closing 

comments and to eat left over Minstrels. 

• Record the discussion on a flipchart with the heading ‘How to 

encourage pupil participation in our school?’ 

Follow-up 

Use the recorded Minstrel debate for the ‘Menu for Change’ activity 

in Activity 11. 

Adaptations 

For pupils who are shy or who don’t like expressing their opinion in 

public, it’s important to stress that they are not obliged to speak. 

If chocolate is not appropriate for the class, use cotton buds! 

63 




Astudiaethau Achos ar gyfer Arferion Da: 

Cyfranogiad Disgyblion ar waith / Good Practice Case 

Studies: Pupil Participation in Practice 

1. Rhoddodd athro mewn ysgol uwchradd yn Ne Cymru gamerâu i aelodau o’r cyngor ysgol a gofyn 

iddyn nhw fynd o gwmpas yr ysgol a thynnu lluniau o ddysgu’n digwydd. Roedd y rhan fwyaf o’r 

lluniau’n dangos lluniau o ddisgyblion unigol yn gweithio ar eu heistedd. Roedd hyn yn syndod 

i’r athro gan nad oedd yn cyd-fynd â sut roedd e’n gweld dysgu. Bu’r lluniau yn ffocws i bobl 

ifanc ac athrawon yn yr ysgol ddechrau trafodaeth am sut mae dysgu’n edrych a sut mae orau 

ganddyn nhw ddysgu. 

1. A teacher in secondary school in South Wales gave members of the school council cameras 

and asked them to go around the school and take pictures of learning. The majority of pictures 

showed solitary pupils engaged in seat-work. This surprised the teacher as it did not fit in with 

his view of learning. The pictures provided a focus for young people and teachers in the school 

to start a debate about what learning looks like and how they prefer to learn. 

 

2. Roedd athro yng Nghaerdydd am ymgynghori â’i ddosbarth Blwyddyn 8 ynghylch sut i’w gosod 

mewn grwpiau ar gyfer gweithgareddau yn ei ddosbarth daearyddiaeth. Gofynnodd i’r disgyblion 

a fydden nhw’n hoffi ei helpu i ymchwilio i batrymau cyfeillgarwch yn yr ystafell ddosbarth. 

Gofynnwyd i bob disgybl enwebu tri o bobl roeddent yn credu y gallent weithio’n dda gyda 

nhw yn y dosbarth. Defnyddiodd yr athro’r wybodaeth hon i ddyfeisio cynllun eistedd newydd. 

Gosododd y dosbarth mewn grwpiau o bedwar fel bod gan bob person o leiaf un person arall 

roedd am weithio gydag ef/hi yn y grŵp. Teimlai’r disgyblion bod yr athro wedi gwrando ar eu 

barn a chafwyd bod y grwpiau newydd yn gweithio’n dda. 

2. A teacher in Cardiff, wanted to consult with his Year 8 class on how to group them for activities 

in his geography class. He asked the pupils if they would like to help him research the friendship 

patterns in the classroom. Each pupil was asked to nominate three people they thought they 

could work well with in the class. The teacher used this information to devise a new seating plan. 

He put the class in groups of four so each person had a least one other person in the group they 

wanted to work with. The pupils felt their views had been listened to and found the new groups 

worked well. 

 

3. Mewn ysgol yn Ne Cymru roedd y pwyllgor Iechyd a Diogelwch disgyblion yn poeni am y sefyllfa 

gyda thraffig tu allan i giatiau’r ysgol. Fe wnaethant gyfarfod gyda swyddog cynllunio’r cyngor 

lleol, a’r heddlu gan ymgyrchu i gael llwybr arall mwy diogel i’r ysgol. Bu hyn yn llwyddiant, 

fel y gallai mwy o ddisgyblion gerdded i’r ysgol yn ddiogel. 

 

 

 

3. In a school in South Wales the pupil Health and Safety committee were worried about the 

situation with traffic outside the school gates. They met with the local council planning officer 

and the police, and campaigned to have an alternative safer route to school created. This was 

successful, so that more pupils could walk to school in safety. 

 

64 



4. Yn ystod y broses recriwtio ar gyfer Dirprwy Bennaeth newydd, gofynnwyd i’r cyngor ysgol drafod 

meini prawf manyleb y person a chymryd rhan yn y broses gyfweld. Gwahoddwyd y disgyblion 

hefyd i gymryd rhan mewn gwers ffug a gofynnwyd iddynt roi adborth ynglŷn â dulliau addysgu’r 

ymgeiswyr a’u perthynas â disgyblion. 

4. During the recruitment process for a new Deputy Head, the school council was asked to discuss 

the criteria of the person specification and to take part in the interview process. Pupils were also 

involved in a sample lesson, and are asked to give feedback regarding candidates’ teaching 

styles and how they related to pupils. 

 

5. Yn ystod arolygiad o’r ysgol, gofynnodd aelodau o’r cyngor ysgol a allent gyflwyno canfyddiadau 

eu harolwg bwlio i’r arolygwyr. Digwyddodd hyn a bu’n llwyddiannus iawn. Roedd yr arolygwyr 

wedi eu synnu a’u plesio gan broffesiynoldeb y disgyblion, a’r modd roedden nhw wedi 

defnyddio canfyddiadau’r arolwg i wella pethau i ddisgyblion yn yr ysgol. 

5. During an inspection of the school, school council members asked if they could present the 

findings of their bullying survey to the inspectors. This happened and was very successful. 

The inspectors were impressed by how professional the pupils were, and how they had 

used the findings of the survey to improve things for pupils in the school. 

 

6. Creodd ysgol yng Ngogledd Cymru amrywiol gyfleoedd i ddisgyblion fod yn gysylltiedig 

â gwahanol grwpiau. Yn ogystal â’r cyngor ysgol, roedd ganddynt grŵp eco, grŵp bwyta’n iach, 

grŵp gwrth-fwlio, a grŵp cefnogaeth gan gymheiriaid a grŵp bydis darllen. Roedd gan bob 

grŵp gynrychiolydd ar y grŵp FfEY (Fframwaith Effeithiolrwydd Ysgolion). Roedd y disgyblion am 

gael rhagor o amser ar yr amserlen i gyfarfod a chynllunio eu gweithgareddau. Mewn cyfarfod 

FfEY gofynnodd y disgyblion am hanner diwrnod bob hanner tymor i drefnu gweithgareddau ar 

gyfer gweddill yr ysgol. Cyfarfu Grŵp FfEY y disgyblion gyda grŵp FfEY yr athrawon ac, yn dilyn 

y cyfarfod hwn, neilltuwyd un pnawn dydd Gwener bob hanner tymor ar gyfer cyfarfodydd a 

gweithgareddau grŵp. 

6. A school in North Wales created a variety of opportunities for pupils to be involved in 

different groups. In addition to the school council, they had an eco-group, a healthy-eating 

group, an anti-bullying group, a peer support group and a reading buddies group. Each group 

had a representative on the SEF (School Effectiveness Framework) group. The pupils wanted more 

time on the timetable to meet and to plan their activities. At a SEF meeting they asked for one half 

day per half term to put on activities for the rest of the school. The pupil SEF group met with the 

teacher SEF group and, following this meeting, one Friday afternoon each half term was put aside 

for group meetings and activities. 

 

 

 

 

65 




Theme 3 

Activity 11 

Purpose 


Pupil Participation in the School Effectiveness 

Framework (SEF) 

To provide children and young people with an insight into the role 

of pupil voice within the School Effectiveness Framework (SEF). 

This should provide examples of what pupil participation looks 

like in action and encourage them to set an agenda for change 

for their school(s). 

Resources 

The pupil SEF Leaflet and DVD: downloadable from the Pupil Voice 

web-site at: http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk/grown-ups/getinvolved/an-effective-school/ 

or a black and white version of the 

Pupil SEF leaflet. 

Menu for change sheet 

Preparation 

Make sure there are enough copies of the SEF leaflets (or black and 

white version) and the Menu for Change sheets. 

Timing 

30 mins: 

10 minutes for SEF DVD and leaflet; 

15 minutes for SEF Menu for Change activity; 

5 minutes for feedback. 

Participants 

Ask pupils to sit in a horseshoe with access to six desks for SEF 

planning groups. 


• Explain that the School Effectiveness Framework is the Welsh 

Assembly Government’s main policy for school improvement 

in Wales. One of the key ideas of the SEF is the need for 

schools, local authorities and government to work together to 

share best practice and resources. 

• Explain that pupil voice / participation is the heart of the SEF. 

Pupils have an important role to play in making sure that they 

are active partners in making their school communities better 

places to learn and be. 

66 




(Cont’d) 

• Show the SEF DVD as an example of pupil participation in 

action, then give out SEF leaflet (or black and white version) 

for pupils to read. 

• Ask pupils to choose which of the six areas under the SEF 

headings they would most like to work on. 

• Ask each group to use the SEF leaflet and ideas previously 

generated from Activity 10 to write a Menu for Change in 

groups of 4 - 6. 

• Ask each group to feedback their Menu for Change to the 

whole group. 

• Discuss how these ideas will be taken forward and when 

they will be reviewed. 

Follow-up 

Use SEF planning groups as a tool for change led by pupils. This will 

need to be supported by the staff responsible for pupil participation 

in the school. 

Adaptations 

If people do not split themselves evenly in the SEF groups, it may be 

necessary to split them under the six headings evenly. 

67 




Cardiau Fframwaith Effeithiolrwydd Ysgolion i Ddisgyblion 

Pupil School Effectiveness Framework Cards 

Arweiniad 

• Disgyblion yn ymgymryd â swyddi 

cyfrifol - e.e. ar gyngor yr ysgol, 

yr eco-bwyllgor ysgolion iach, 

y grŵp gwrth-fwlio 

Leadership 

• Pupils take on responsible roles - 

e.g. on the school council, 

eco-committee, healthy schools, 

anti-bullying group 

• Disgyblion yn rhoi gwybod i’r Pennaeth 

a’r Llywodraethwyr am eu syniadau 

ynghylch gwneud newidiadau 

yn yr ysgol 

• Pupils tell their Headteacher and 

Governors about their ideas for 

making changes in their school 

• Disgyblion yn sicrhau bod yr 

ysgol yn ymgymryd â phethau 

sy’n wirioneddol o bwys iddynt - 

fel Masnach Deg a’r Amgylchedd 

• Pupils make sure their school takes 

on things that are really important 

to them - such as Fair Trade and 

the Environment 

Gweithio gydag Eraill 

• Disgyblion yn gweithio gyda staff 

i ddatrys problemau fel bwlio, 

bwyd iach ac amgylchedd yr ysgol 

• Disgyblion yn sôn wrth staff am yr hyn 

yr hoffen nhw ei ddysgu a sut maen 

nhw yn dysgu orau yn eu barn nhw 

• Disgyblion yn cael llais yn yr hyn y dylid 

ei gynnwys yn y cytundeb rhwng y 

Cartref a’r Ysgol yn eu tyb nhw 

• Disgyblion yn cymryd rhan mewn 

clybiau a grwpiau y tu allan i’r ysgol 

er mwyn gwneud gwahaniaeth 

Working with Others 

• Pupils work with staff to solve problems 

such as bullying, healthy food and the 

school environment 

• Pupils talk to staff about what they 

would like to learn and how they 

think they learn best 

• Pupils have a say on what they 

think should be included in the 

Home-school agreement 

• Pupils take part in out of school clubs 

and groups to make a difference 

68 



Grwpiau i rannu Arferion Da 

• Disgyblion yn cynnal arolygon barn 

a holiaduron er mwyn i’r staff ddeall 

eu barn a’u profiadau 

• Disgyblion yn rhannu gwybodaeth 

am yr hyn sy’n gweithio’n dda yn 

eu hysgol drwy wasanaethau, 

gwefannau a chylchlythyron 

• Disgyblion mewn cysylltiad â’u cyngor 

ieuenctid lleol 

• Disgyblion yn creu cysylltiadau ag 

ysgolion eraill er mwyn rhannu 

gwybodaeth am yr hyn sy’n 

gweithio’n dda 

Groups to share Good Practice 

• Pupils carry out surveys and 

questionnaires so that staff understand 

what their views and experiences are 

• Pupils share information about what’s 

going well in their school through 

assemblies, web-sites and newsletters 

• Pupils have links to their local young 

people’s council 

• Pupils make links to other schools 

to share information about what’s 

going well 

Cefnogi ei Gilydd 

• Disgyblion yn gweithio gyda 

staff i helpu disgyblion sydd 

â phroblemau dysgu 

Supporting one Another 

• Pupils work with staff to help pupils 

who have problems learning 

• Disgyblion yn gweithredu fel ffrindiau 

ar yr iard chwarae neu gefnogwyr 

i gyd-ddisgyblion 

• Pupils get involved as playground 

pals or peer supporters 

• Disgyblion yn rhedeg clybiau 

amser cinio neu eco-glwb neu 

glwb rhyngwladol 

• Pupils run lunch-time clubs 

such as an eco-club or an 

international club 

• Disgyblion yn rhan o glybiau 

a gweithgareddau yn yr ysgol 

ac oddi allan 

• Pupils get involved in out of school 

clubs and activities 

69 




Gwella a Chymryd Cyfrifoldeb 

Improving and Taking 

Responsibility 

• Disgyblion yn darganfod syniadau 

disgyblion eraill am sut i wella’r 

ysgol, ac yna yn pleidleisio arnynt 

• Pupils find out other pupils’ ideas 

about how the school can be 

improved, and then vote on them 

• Disgyblion yn trafod eu syniadau 

â’r Pennaeth a’r Llywodraethwyr 

a sut y gellir eu datblygu 

• Pupils talk to the Headteacher and 

Governors about their ideas and 

how they can be taken forward 

• Disgyblion yn rhoi gwybod 

i’w cyd-ddisgyblion sut mae 

pethau yn mynd a’r hyn y maen 

nhw wedi’i gyflawni 

• Pupils tell their fellow pupils how 

things are going and what they 

have achieved 

Addysgu a Dysgu 

Teaching and Learning 

• Disgyblion yn helpu i gasglu barn 

disgyblion am yr hyn y maent 

yn ei ddysgu a sut maent yn 

hoffi dysgu 

• Pupils help to collect pupils’ views 

about what they are learning and 

how they like to learn 

• Disgyblion yn hyfforddi er mwyn 

helpu disgyblion eraill i ddysgu 

• Pupils train to help other 

pupils learn 

• Disgyblion yn helpu i benodi staff 

yn yr ysgol 

• Pupils help to appoint staff in 

the school 

70 



Dewislen ar gyfer newid 

Rydym am weithio gyda disgyblion a staff eraill i wneud ein hysgolion hyd yn oed yn well. Ar ôl 

ein hyfforddiant cyfranogi, hoffem awgrymu rhai ffyrdd o wella ein hysgol. Er mwyn gwneud i hyn 

ddigwydd, mae ein grŵp ni yn edrych ar: 

Ble ydyn ni nawr? 

• 

• 

• 

Ble ry’n ni am fod? 

• 

• 

• 

Sut ydyn ni am gyrraedd yno? 

• 

• 

• 

Llofnodwyd ...................................................................................................................................... 

Blwyddyn ................................. Dosbarth ................................. 

Dyddiad: ................................. 

71 




Menu for change 

We want to work with other pupils and staff to make our school an even better place. After our pupil 

participation training, we would like to suggest some ways our school could improve. To make this 

happen, our group is looking at: 

Where are we now? 

• 

• 

• 

Where do we want to go? 

• 

• 

• 

How are we going to get there? 

• 

• 

• 

Signed ........................................................................................................................................... 

Year ................................. Class ................................. 

Date: ................................. 

72 



Theme 3 

Activity 12 

Purpose 


The Role of Pupil Voice in Estyn Inspections 

To help pupils undersand the importance of pupil voice in school 

self-evaluation and in preparing for inspection. 

Resources 

ESTYN pupil survey 

Flipchart Paper and Pen 

Preparation 

Photocopy enough copies of the Estyn pupil survey so that there 

is one for each participant. 

Timing 

20 minutes: to undertake survey and collate top tips list 

Participants 

Ask pupils to sit by a desk 


• Explain that pupil voice has become increasingly important 

in the school inspection process. ESTYN inspectors will now 

consider how schools take learners views into account, 

and what opportunities there are for pupils to play an 

active role in decision-making processes. One way in 

which evidence of whether schools listen to learners 

will be gathered is through a pre-inspection pupil survey. 

• Give out copies of the ESTYN pupil survey. 

• Ask everyone to fill in the survey. 

• Ask pupils to think about how they could make their school 

do even better in ESTYN inspections. 

• Ask pupils to call out their ideas and suggestions, and record 

these on flipchart as ‘Top Tips list for Making our school 

even better’. 

73 




Follow-up 

The ‘Top Tips’ list can be used to inform a review of pupil 

participation practice in the school via the supporting staff member. 

Adaptations 

It may be helpful to have the Top Tips list divided into 

areas e.g. top tips for… pupils, teachers, other staff, 

senior management team, governors. 

74 



Estyn: Pupils’ Survey 

Your school name: 

Male Female Please circle one box 

Year Group 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Please Circle one box 

Please tick one box 

Questions 

1 I feel safe in my school 

2 The school deals well with any bullying 

3 I have someone to talk to if I am worried 

4 The school teaches me how to keep healthy 

5 There are plenty of opportunities at school for 

me to get regular exercise 

6 I am doing well at school 

7 The teachers help me to learn and 

make progress and they help me when 

I have problems 

8 My homework helps me to understand 

and improve my work in school 

9 I have enough books and equipment 

including computers, to do my work. 

10 Pupils behave well and I get my work done. 

11 Staff treat all pupils fairly and with respect 

12 The school listen to our views and makes 

changes we suggest 

13 I am encouraged to do things for myself and 

to take on responsibility 

Strongly 

Agree 

Agree Disagree Strongly 

75 




Questions 

14 The school helps me to be ready for my next 

school, college or to start my working life 

15 The staff respect me and my background 

Strongly 

Agree 

Cont’d please tick one box 

Agree Disagree Strongly 

16 

17 

The school helps me to understand and 

respect people from other backgrounds 

Please answer this question if you are in 

Year 10 or Year 11: I was given good advice 

when choosing my course in key stage 4. 

18 Please answer this if you are in the 

sixth form: I was given good advice when 

choosing my courses in the sixth form 

76 



Arolwg Disgyblion Estyn 

Enw eich ysgol: 

Gwryw Benyw Rhowch gylch o gwmpas 

un blwch 

Grŵp Blwyddyn 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Rhowch gylch o 

gwmpas un blwch 

Ticiwch un blwch 

Cwestiynau 

Cytuno’n 

gryf 

Cytuno 

Anghytuno 

Anghytuno’n 

gryf 

1 Rwy’n teimlo’n ddiogel yn fy ysgol 

2 Mae’r ysgol yn ymdrin yn dda ag 

unrhyw fwlio 

3 Mae gen i rywun i siarad â mi os 

ydw i’n poeni am rywbeth 

4 Mae’r ysgol yn fy nysgu i sut i 

gadw’n iach 

5 Mae digon o gyfleoedd yn yr ysgol i mi 

gael ymarfer corff rheolaidd 

6 Rwy’n gwneud yn dda yn yr ysgol 

7 Mae’r athrawon yn fy helpu i ddysgu 

a gwneud cynnydd ac maen nhw’n 

fy helpu pan mae gen i broblemau 

8 Mae fy ngwaith cartref yn fy helpu i 

ddeall a gwella fy ngwaith yn yr ysgol 

9 Mae gen i ddigon o lyfrau ac offer 

gan gynnwys cyfrifiaduron, i wneud 

fy ngwaith. 

10 Mae’r disgyblion yn ymddwyn yn dda 

ac rwy’n gallu gwneud fy ngwaith. 

11 Mae’r staff yn trin yr holl ddisgyblion 

yn deg a pharchus 

77 




Ticiwch un blwch 

Cwestiynau 

Cytuno’n 

gryf 

Cytuno 

Anghytuno 

Anghytuno’n 

gryf 

12 Mae’r ysgol yn gwrando ar ein barn 

ac yn gwneud newidiadau a awgrymir 

gennym ni 

13 Rwy’n cael fy annog i wneud pethau 

drosof fy hun ac i ysgwyddo cyfrifoldeb 

14 Mae’r ysgol yn fy helpu i fod yn barod 

ar gyfer fy ysgol nesaf, coleg neu i 

ddechrau gweithio 

15 Mae’r staff yn fy mharchu i a’m cefndir 

16 

17 

Mae’r ysgol yn fy helpu i ddeall a 

pharchu pobl o gefndiroedd eraill 

Atebwch y cwestiwn hwn os 

ydych ym Mlwyddyn 10 neu 

Flwyddyn 11: Cefais gyngor da 

wrth ddewis fy nghwrs yng nghyfnod 

allweddol 4. 

18 Atebwch y cwestiwn hwn os 

ydych yn y chweched dosbarth: 

Cefais gyngor da wrth ddewis fy 

nghyrsiau yn y chweched dosbarth 

78 



Information and support 

For information, materials and case studies on developing pupil participation, including further 

training activities for pupils and staff, visit the: 

Pupil Voice Wales website 

www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk 

For information and activities on Children and Young People’s Rights in Wales go to the: 

‘Let’s Get it Right’ site 

http://www.uncrcletsgetitright.co.uk/ 

Other sources of information & support 

CLIC - Information & Advice Service for 11-25 yr olds in Wales 

www.cliconline.co.uk 

Funky Dragon 

www.funkydragon.org/ 

Children and Young People’s Participation Consortium 

participationunit@savethechildren.org.uk 

Children’s Commissioner 

www.childcomwales.org.uk 

79

Young People's Activities - Pupil Voice Wales

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