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VotesforSchools provides award-winning weekly resources to prompt discussion on a challenging current issue. Students vote and comment and we ensure that their voices are heard and have an impact.
VotesforSchools creates weekly lessons that spark conversation and debate. We put pupil voice at the forefront with
Activities designed to improve oracy, critical thinking and media literacy skills
A national voting platform that captures what young people think about key issues
Direct, personal responses from organisations, changemakers and influential figures, which showcase the impact of pupil voice
By teaching young people what's going on in the news, we teach them the critical thinking skills they need to understand and engage with the world around them. Our team of qualified teachers create
Ready-to-teach lessons on current affairs
Impartial and age-appropriate coverage of a new and developing topic
Activities that highlight the relevance of a particular issue to young people
There are some areas of the curriculum that can be particularly challenging to evidence when it comes to auditing and inspection - that’s where we come in. VotesforSchools supports schools by providing
Evidence of full coverage of SMSC, British Values & Prevent curriculum criteria throughout the academic year
Mapping to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the SHANARRI Wellbeing Indicators (GIRFEC)
Termly and annual curriculum overviews showing development in all areas
Whether you’re looking to deliver a quickfire discussion, a full lesson, or a whole-school conversation, VotesforSchools has you covered. Each week, we issue
Differentiated lessons for all age groups, from 5-18 years old
15-minute or 45-minute lessons and lesson plans, to fit to every timetable
A whole-school assembly to ensure everyone is involved in the conversation
By joining VotesforSchools, your children and young people will be joining a network of over 1,200 schools, all taking part in a national conversation. As part of this, there are opportunities to
Compare their vote results with other educational settings, on a regional and national level
Get involved in Youth Advisory Board meetings, where they can discuss and share their thoughts with their peers, charities and businesses
Showcase their work in and outside of school by applying for a Student Voice Award as an individual or for their school
To find out the cost for each package and what it includes, go to our Sign Up & Cost page.
Head of Welfare
EPSOM College
Headteacher
St Chad's Catholic Primary School
Head of SMSC
UTC Plymouth
Senior Leader
Thomas’s Clapham Secondary School
Deputy Head
Parkgate Primary School
Class Teacher
Coton C of E Primary School
Assistant Principal
Reigate College
ARP Phase Leader and Teacher of the Deaf
Five Elms Primary School
Year 11 Teacher
Gryphon School
Upper School Class Teacher
Small Haven School
Head of Learner Support Services
Guernsey College of Further Education
Schools
Pupils
Votes
We're often asked to create custom resources for organisations to fit their own needs, such as The NHS or The Metropolitan Police. To find out more, and to enquire about your own custom resource, please head to our commissions area.
commissionsThe questions we get the most about using VotesforSchools in your school or College.
There are three ways in which we choose our topics:
1. Based on current affairs, as was the case for our Black Lives Matter resources, as well as many of our Coronavirus VoteTopics.
2. Based on the diverse society in which we live and the events or Awareness Days that celebrate different communities. You can find our list of pre-planned topics for 2021/22 by downloading our calendar here.
3. Based on suggestions from voters and teachers on what they would like to see us cover. These are some of our favourite topics to cover as we know we are reflecting issues they find most important back to them!
We always provide voters with further information of who they can talk to or raise any concerns with for any particularly challenging topics, and we always recommend the government Safeguarding best practice policy is followed.
At the beginning of each week the team sits down with the proposed VoteTopic question and maps out the most compelling arguments for and against. These form the foundation upon which each lesson is built, with all the activities offering scope to explore both the “Yes” and “No” sides.
When covering specialised topics, we consult experts wherever possible to ensure the information we are providing is from a trusted source and is giving our voters accurate advice and guidance.
Each lesson is carefully checked prior to publication to ensure that it not only takes an objective view of the topic but also offers arguments from a range of sources to reflect press coverage. Where possible we also like to give young people the opportunity to explore any “fake news” surrounding the topic, and all our lessons encourage critical thinking and seek to improve digital literacy.
VotesforSchools can be delivered during tutor time, assemblies, or as part of PSHE or Citizenship curriculums. We have also known of subscribers that have had great success in implementing a dedicated VotesforSchools slot in their timetable. There is implementation support from us if needed and lots of sharing of ideas amongst teachers.
Please see below for guidelines which show how we support British Values, SMSC, Prevent and the draft Ofsted framework (2019) across Primary & Secondary schools and Colleges in England and Wales. Click the links to download the relevant material for your school.
Primary: VotesforSchools Primary Curriculum & Ofsted overview
Secondary: VotesforSchools Secondary Curriculum & Ofsted overview
Colleges: VotesforColleges Curriculum & Ofsted overview
We also provide termly summaries of how we have met SMSC, British Values, Prevent, UNCRC and SDGs through each weekly topic. These are sent out as part of our Christmas, Easter & Summer newsletters.
For our Scottish schools the documents below outline what you can expect from your weekly Curriculum Guides:
Primary: VotesforSchools Primary & Scottish Curriculum
Secondary: VotesforSchools Secondary & Scottish Curriculum
Colleges: VotesforColleges & Scottish Curriculum
We also provide termly summaries of the SHANARRI, UNCRC and SDGs criteria that our VoteTopics have met as well as an overview of the different themes covered.
Yes!
There is a simple log in process and we provide clear, easy-to-follow guidance. Our helpline is available during school hours with friendly advice and help if you have any problems: info@votesforschools.com
We understand that all schools have different approaches and access to technology. We have built maximum flexibility into the platform meaning that students can vote on laptops, tablets, smartphones or in the school computer suite. Teachers can also register their class' votes on the platform and, if tech is not your thing, we provide a ballot box if a school prefers to vote manually rather than online.
Schools can access the anonymised data specific to their school and also see the data relating to other schools across the UK. The VoteData will be sent to the lead teacher in your school. A full report on the weekly results as well as user-friendly infographics are also uploaded to our website and social media platforms each week.
VotesforSchools takes the issue of data protection and data privacy extremely seriously and adheres to the highest possible standards. Privacy of data is one of the core principles of our company and we will never sell or commercialise data. Voters have an individualised user login so that all data remains anonymous. Data on your school will be private and unique to you and will under no circumstances be shared with anyone else.
We know that you will want to give VotesforSchools a try with your school community before you join us. Head to the “Free Downloads” page on our website here to get hold of some outstanding free lessons for you to use and trial in your school.
The VotesforSchools platform runs for a whole year, regardless of sign-up date with VotePacks for every week of the academic year.
If you would like access to any past topics, please get in touch at info@votesforschools.com.
You can sign up by going to the “Sign Up” page here; email us on info@votesforschools.com, or call us on 07754 862979.
VotesforSchools takes data and privacy very seriously. We are fully compliant with the GDPR measures and ensure that any personal data is fully protected.
The personal data we collect on staff is exclusively used for the running of the VotesforSchools programme. We only collect staff emails; we collect zero identifiable personal data on voters, and we use staff emails to send new resources and allow schools to vote.
No data is shared with third parties unless we are required to do so by law and we will never pass your data to a third party without asking for permission.
If you have any further questions about data use please email info@votesforschools.com to request a copy of our compliance statement.
