“Reflective thinking turns experience into insight."

-John C. Maxwell

This term we’ve asked various Symphony Questions focused on the state of the pandemic world. We’ve covered: vaccines, Christmas, safety in schools, and much more. But as the term winds to an end we wanted to shift the focus from thinking about what may happen in the future, and instead reflect on this term as a whole.

This year has been quite unlike any other - and there have been so many challenges that pupils, teachers, schools, and society in general have had to overcome in order to bring education back into a school setting. With all of these changes students and school staff have been unbelievably resilient. Being back in the classroom is extremely important not only for educational purposes, but also for student wellbeing overall. So with a term back in school under everyone’s belt, we proposed to our member schools a Symphony Question focused on reflecting on what has been the most helpful thing in school.

After what we are sure were great discussions with various types of reasoning for their answers, this is what young people had to say ….

Question: Looking back at the term in school, which of these has helped you the most?

National result:

Result:

It was a close one - but by a narrow margin young people around the country have said that the most helpful thing about being back in school this last term was having someone show they care. In a close second was someone having fun with them, followed by someone helping them learn, and finally being challenged to be better.

What can we learn from these results?

Being cared for and having fun is one of the most helpful aspects of being back in school.

While we are sure there are various reasons that pupils expressed the above opinions, there were two very clear favourites. Students have found the things that have helped them the most this term is having someone show that they care for them, and also having fun with someone. Schools are such an integral part of childhood development, and having someone show they care for you - whether it be a teacher, a school staff member, a peer - is an extremely helpful aspect of being back in a the classroom. As for the fun aspect, it’s easy to guess why that has been helpful to pupils. Being cooped up, and having to distance from classmates and friends, was one of the hardest aspects of the initial lockdown for young people. Having fun makes things easier.

We are jazzed that so many of our member schools got involved in this discussion. Having students reflect on the past term is extremely important, and being able to focus on the positive, such as what has been the most helpful, rather than the negative is something we wholeheartedly encourage. We’re so proud of our member schools who are continuing to foster an environment to have pupil led discussions and give encouragement to all pupils to use their voice.

What time is it OK to wake up on Christmas Day?

Christmas break is next week! Before schools go on their holiday break, we’re proposing a Christmas related Symphony Question! Christmas morning can be the most exciting morning of the year - and young people tend to have strong thoughts on when it is OK to wake up and get to celebrating the holiday.

So next week the Symphony Question is: What time is it OK to wake up on Christmas Day? We’re proposing the following options:

1. 6am

2. 7am

3. 8am

4. 9am

We’re looking forward to what pupils across the nation have to say!

Following the successful trial of this form in our General Election Question Series, for 2020 we’ll be recommending a blend of action-led & topical questions to ask each week.

Want to get involved or suggest a question? Send us an email at membership@smartschoolcouncils.org.uk