The following is taken from DfES Guidance Staying Involved: Extending opportunities for pupil participation. For the full version of DfES Guidance, follow the link, which will take you to the DfES website.

By key stage 4, pupils should be used to taking part in the day-to-day organisation and running of the school. The following questions may be used to assess the quality of pupil involvement in school decision-making, they apply to the whole school, but by key stage 4 pupils are likely to have experience of different types of decision-making, and to be ready to take on more responsibility.

This may include supporting younger pupils in developing decision-making skills, representing other pupils on groups and committees, and putting forward their own and others' views in a variety of contexts.

1.  What recognised mechanisms exist for enabling all pupils to contribute their views and ideas to the overall life of the school?   for example, circle time, student (class/year/school) councils, student consultation committees, questionnaires, surveys of pupil opinion.

2.   Are pupils ever represented at governors' meetings? Representation could include: regular attendance by pupil representatives; opportunities for pupils to contribute to specific agenda items; mechanisms for pupils to observe meetings; and the establishment of channels through which pupils could receive minutes about issues that concern them.

3.   How do pupils contribute to curriculum planning? for example, pupils acting as researchers, conducting surveys of pupil needs; pupils evaluating existing provision; pupils providing feedback on resources and learning activities; the discussion of curriculum issues in class/year/school councils; pupil representation on curriculum committees; pupils contributing to staff conferences or whole-school planning.

4.   How do pupils contribute to policy review and development? for example, through clear, defined mechanisms for pupil involvement in review procedures and working parties, ensuring that governors include pupil perspectives in annual reviews of policies such as sex education, discipline, admissions.

5.   Are pupils' views included in responses to local authority or national consultation documents, as well as school ones? Do pupils ever contact their local councillor, MP or MEP about relevant issues, and are they involved in local authority issues, strategic partnerships or initiatives?

6.   Do pupils contribute to the school development plan (SDP)/school management plan (SMP) by, for example, contributing ideas and identifying needs? Is increasing pupil participation featured in the SDP/SMP?

7.   Do pupils produce, or contribute to, school publications? for example, the school brochure/prospectus, the school/community newspaper, the student handbook, the parents' booklet. Do pupils produce newsletters and write in the local press about critical issues? Do they contribute as reporters to the schools' column(s) in the local newspaper?

8.   What structures exist for pupils to suggest ways in which they could contribute to the decision-making and organisation of the school? for example, through suggestion boxes placed at strategic points around the school and an annual review of pupils' suggestions and ideas; through pupil reviews and evaluations of such mechanisms.

While there is no specific unit at key stage 4 regarding school councils, the key stage 3 Unit 14 'Developing skills of democratic participation'. would be suitable to use.

Follow this link for possible teaching activities at key stage 3