Votes For Schools
Votes For Schools is an online voting platform designed to engage students in exploring and discussing the issues affecting them and allowing them to join with other pupils to let the world know what they think about these topics.
At Barnsley Academy we are dedicated to the promotion and development of Student Voice. Our Votes for Schools programme is a significant part of this initiative. Every week, students in Year 7-10 participate in a nationwide current affairs debate and voting session during the Tutor Time Character Curriculum. Each lesson is centered around a Vote Topic question that is relevant to young peoples' lives. To ensure that all students are able to engage with issues that matter to them, they are given time to discuss and debate the Vote Topic before casting their vote in person to mirror the democratic process. These votes are then counted, announced and logged online so that all our students' voices are heard nationwide.
Our secondary students discuss a Vote Topic each week as part of their tutorial programme before then voting to share their personal and collective opinion.
Previous Vote Topics have included:
- Are young people comfortable calling out misogynistic behaviour?
- Are UK supermarkets doing enough to tackle food waste?
- Should we blame influencers for online harm?
Information about the Vote Topics covered during Votes For Schools can be found by clicking here.
For further information on Votes for Schools or removal from this programme, please contact kelly.glendinning@barnsley-academy.org (Head of PSHE & RSE)