Over the past two years, the Democracy Ambassadors at Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery School have worked hard to develop their understanding of democracy and how they can make a positive difference within their local community.
The group learned about democracy, how Kirklees is organised into wards, and the role of local councillors. They also had the opportunity to meet two local councillors during a question-and-answer session, where they learned more about their responsibilities, interests, and how they represent local residents.
As part of their work, the ambassadors carried out a ward walk around the local area. During the visit, they noticed litter and graffiti in a newly refurbished park and decided to take action. The children designed posters encouraging community members to take pride in and look after the park. After presenting their ideas in a whole-school assembly and gathering feedback from their peers, they refined the designs before gaining permission to display the posters in the park.
The ambassadors also led an assembly to share their learning and experiences with the rest of the school, helping to increase understanding of democracy among pupils and staff. Their work will continue this year, including a planned visit to meet the Mayor in February.
Cllr Mark Smith, Deputy Leader of Kirklees Council:
“This morning I had the privilege of attending Golcar JI&N School together with my colleague Cllr Myk Simmons, in order to learn further about the pupils’ continued good work learning about local democracy and actively getting involved in promoting the benefits of contributing to their local environment. It gave me great pleasure in presenting the pupils with their well-deserved award for being a Democracy Friendly School. The children’s enthusiasm for being involved in their local community and wanting to learn about democracy was inspiring and I would urge all schools to consider joining this truly inclusive program.”
Claire Broadbent, Assistant Head Teacher:
“The Democracy Friendly Schools Award provides a great opportunity for children to develop their understanding of democracy through real-life experiences and social action. We would encourage other schools to get involved and empower their pupils to become active citizens who can make a positive difference in their communities.”
Rory, aged 10, said:
“I enjoyed going out into the local area for our ward walk and identifying ways we could help improve it. Creating posters and seeing them displayed in the park showed me that young people can have a voice.”
Stanley, aged 10, added:
“My favourite part of the project was creating posters for our local park and sharing our understanding of democracy with the rest of the school through an assembly.”
Get involved
Expressions of interest are welcome from schools across Kirklees that would like to join the Democracy Friendly programme. Visit the Democracy Friendly Schools webpage to find out more about the free offer, what taking part involves, and the benefits for children, young people and schools.
Alternatively, email democracy.friendly@kirklees.gov.uk
