The impact of the past two years on everyone in schools has been immense, both in academic and psychological terms. We hear a lot about the rising attainment gap - teachers are challenged to use tutoring, adapted curricula and catch-up strategies to resolve this.
But what we hear very little about are the thoughts and feelings of children and young people, and what they believe it is important to focus on right now.
Where pupil voice is carefully and systematically collected, we know that it can provide powerful insight into the impact of decisions on pupils - insight that might make us think twice.
More teaching and learning:
A powerful example can be found in 2019 research by Antonina Tereshchenko and colleagues. They asked students how setting practices made them feel. The students clearly articulated the negative impact that setting had on their learning, their self-esteem and their motivation to engage in learning.
Pupil voice: what do the children think of catch-up?
We hear that tutoring is essential - but what do the children think about this? We hear that extending the school day will provide additional opportunities for children and young people. But are these opportunities that they would like to be involved in? Do we know if the adaptations to the curricula are helpful or appropriate? What do young people feel about the changes to exams, or the effectiveness of online lessons?
Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously.
Yet, as a recent report from the UN suggests, “for many young people, the decision-makers seemed very far away from understanding the reality of their lives and how decisions could have a very real impact on their lives now and far into the future”.
How often do we really consider the voices of all the children, from the youngest to the oldest, from every part of the country and from all communities?
In 2021, The Big Ask, run by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, gathered responses from 55,0000 children over six weeks, in the largest-ever survey of children in England. This is impressive. But over 80 per cent of the responses were from children in the 11 to 15 age group.
The youngest children are just as likely to have been affected by the past two years as their older peers. These are the children who have not known what we might consider a normal start to their schooling - the effects will be ongoing and pervasive.
Pupil voice means a commitment to listening to the thoughts and wishes of all children and young people. It means placing value on what they tell school staff about their experiences and overcoming barriers to ensure that all children can express their views.
When we consult learners in an authentic and systematic way, their voices provide a powerful insight into the outcomes and effects of practices. There are well-established methods of collecting the thoughts of younger children, so there should be no excuse to leave them out.
The children know more than we think. So perhaps we should place more value on listening to them before we act on their behalf.
Megan Dixon is director of research at Holy Catholic Family Multi-Academy Trust
