Pupil Leadership

Worship Council

Worship Council Y1-6

Mr McGill

The Worship Council is a group of pupils who help lead the spiritual life of St Mary’s. They support prayer, liturgy, and collective worship, helping everyone in school grow in faith and follow the example of Jesus.

Follow Jesus: Grow as followers of Jesus by living out Gospel values in school and beyond.
Lead worship: Plan and actively participate in collective worship, supporting the spiritual life of the school community.
Be role models: Show how faith influences attitudes, behaviour, and relationships.

Being part of the Worship Council helps pupils develop confidence, leadership, and a deeper understanding of faith. They contribute to a strong Catholic ethos, supporting the spiritual growth of the whole school community.

Plan prayer and liturgy: Lead prayer during key liturgical seasons and important moments in the Church year.
Share pupil voice: Evaluate the quality and impact of prayer and liturgy across the school.
Contribute ideas: Help plan prayer and liturgy for themselves, their classes, and the wider school community.
Record and reflect: Help document, reflect on, and celebrate the prayer life of the class and school.

“Being on the Worship Council helps us lead prayer and show others how faith is part of our daily lives.”

“We can plan liturgies that everyone enjoys and that help people think about Jesus and our values.”

School Council

School Council Y1-Y6

Including Rights Respecting

Mrs Vale

Welcome to the St Mary’s School Council

Our School Council is a student-led body that works to improve different areas of the school, including promoting environmental sustainability and supporting the wellbeing of all pupils.

School Councillors are democratically elected at the start of each academic year, and any pupil can put themselves forward to take part. Once elected, they represent their classmates and contribute to shaping school life throughout the year.

In their first meeting, the School Council creates a School Council Charter, outlining the responsibilities and expectations of each member to ensure they fulfil their roles effectively.

The School Council meets every three weeks to discuss school issues, plan projects, and make decisions that reflect the views of their peers. Between meetings, Councillors consult with their classes, gathering ideas, feedback, and suggestions to bring back to the Council.

Each term, the School Council develops an action plan, setting clear goals for projects and initiatives they aim to complete, ensuring their work has a meaningful and measurable impact on the school community.

Our School Council actively supports the Catholic life and mission of the school by promoting respect, dignity and care for others, rooted in Gospel values. Pupils demonstrate an understanding that everyone is made in the image and likeness of God and work to ensure that all members of the school community feel included, valued and heard.

Through leading assemblies and discussions around rights, responsibilities and social justice, School Council members deepen their understanding of how faith influences actions. Pupils confidently make links between Catholic teaching, British Values and real-life decision-making, demonstrating how learning in RE informs their leadership roles.

School Council members contribute to the planning and delivery of assemblies that reflect the school’s Catholic ethos and promote shared values such as fairness, democracy and respect. These opportunities develop pupils’ confidence and enable them to actively participate in worship and reflection that supports the spiritual life of the school.

Our School Council provides meaningful opportunities for pupils to exercise leadership, represent others and contribute to school improvement. Pupils understand democratic processes, listen respectfully to different viewpoints and take responsibility for effecting positive change locally and globally, demonstrating a strong sense of moral responsibility and active citizenship.

“We learn that our faith teaches us to respect everyone, even if they believe something different to us.”

“When we lead assemblies, we help other children understand their rights and how to treat others kindly.”

Mini Vinnies

Mini Vinnies Y3-6

Miss Marsh

Mini Vinnies are a group of pupils who lead acts of charity and service across the school year. We help our school live out Gospel values by putting our faith into action and supporting others in our community.

Lead acts of charity: We organise fundraising and service projects to help people in need.
Mark key seasons: We make sure Advent and Lent are special times to think about and help others.
Monitor Catholic Life: We share our ideas about how the Catholic life of the school can be even better.
Promote Catholic Social Teaching: We show how prayer and action can make a difference and reflect our values of justice, compassion, and care.

Being a Mini Vinnie helps us develop leadership skills, think about others, and make a real difference in our school and community. We learn how our faith can guide our actions and inspire others to do good.

“Being a Mini Vinnie means we can help people and show kindness every day.”

“We learn how prayer and helping others go hand in hand.”

Chaplaincy music team

Chaplaincy Music Team Y6

Mrs Dyer

The Music Chaplaincy group is made up of Year 6 pupils who lead and support music and singing across the school. They help make worship, assemblies, and special events more engaging and spiritually uplifting through music.

Lead music and singing: Guide the school in music during key liturgical seasons, assemblies, and special events.
Evaluate standards: Observe and provide feedback on music and singing in school from a pupil perspective.
Work as a team: Follow the guidance of the Music Teacher to develop skills and plan performances.

Being part of the Music Chaplaincy helps pupils develop confidence, leadership, and musical skills. They contribute to the spiritual life of the school and ensure that music and singing enhance worship and celebration.

“Being in Music Chaplaincy lets us help everyone enjoy singing and feel part of worship.”

“We get to lead music in assemblies and make special events more meaningful for everyone.”

House Captains

House Captains Y6

Mrs D-N

House Captains are pupils who lead by example and represent their house in all aspects of school life. They help promote the values of St Mary’s and encourage their peers to do the same.

Lead assemblies: Organise and lead assemblies on topics that reflect the school’s values, helping others to learn and reflect.
Be role models: Show strong leadership, respect, and responsibility in everything they do, inspiring other pupils to follow their example.
Act as ambassadors: Represent St Mary’s at events and in the wider community, promoting our school values and positive reputation.

Being a House Captain develops confidence, leadership skills, and a sense of responsibility. Pupils learn how to influence positive change, support their peers, and contribute to the life of the school in meaningful ways.

“Being a House Captain means helping others and showing what it’s like to be a good leader.”

“We get to lead assemblies and encourage everyone to follow the values of our school.”

Librarians

Librarians Y6

Miss Godbold

Our Librarians are pupils who help make reading fun and inspiring for everyone at St Mary’s. They support the library, promote books, and encourage their peers to enjoy reading for pleasure.

Promote reading for pleasure: Create displays, recommend books, and lead assemblies that inspire others to read.
Support the library: Help maintain the library, keeping it organised and welcoming for all pupils.
Share recommendations: Suggest high-quality literature for different ages and interests.
Inspire others: Encourage pupils to read more widely and explore different genres.
Monitor reading for pleasure: Keep track of engagement and help the school understand what pupils enjoy reading most.

Being a Librarian helps pupils develop leadership, organisation, and communication skills. They make a real difference by fostering a love of reading and creating a positive reading culture across the school

“We love helping our friends find new books and showing them how exciting reading can be.”

“Being a Librarian means we can inspire everyone to enjoy books and discover new stories.”

Play Leaders

Play Leaders Y4 and Y5

Mrs Buczek

Play Leaders are pupils who help make lunchtime play safe, fun, and enjoyable for everyone. They support younger pupils, encourage positive play, and help everyone follow the rules of games.

Support play: Help ensure lunchtime play runs smoothly and safely.
Know the rules: Understand the rules of simple games so everyone can play fairly.
Support younger pupils: Help younger children resolve conflicts and encourage teamwork.
Work as a team: Follow guidance from the Senior Play Leader to make sure play is organised and fun for all.

Being a Play Leader helps pupils develop leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills. They make a real difference by creating a positive, inclusive play environment and supporting younger pupils to enjoy their playtimes.

“We help everyone play together and make sure no one feels left out.”

“Being a Play Leader means we can help younger pupils have fun and stay safe at playtime.”

Young Carers

Young Carers Y1-Y6

Mr Bentley

The Young Carers group supports pupils who have caring responsibilities at home. They help raise awareness of the role of Young Carers, provide peer support, and ensure everyone feels included and valued.

Promote the role of Young Carers: Raise awareness about the contributions and needs of Young Carers within the school.
Monitor interactions: Observe and support how Young Carers interact with peers and family, ensuring positive relationships.
Provide opportunities and support: Create safe spaces for Young Carers to meet, share experiences, and feel supported by peers and staff.
Contribute to understanding: Help the wider school community understand the challenges and strengths of Young Carers.

Being part of the Young Carers group helps pupils develop empathy, leadership, and confidence. It ensures that Young Carers are supported, valued, and celebrated, and that their voices are heard within the school community.

“Being part of the Young Carers group means we can help each other and feel supported.”

“We can share experiences and know that we are not alone.”