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Stoneraise School
'Living and learning together to care for each other and our world.'
T: 01228 712277 E: office@stoneraise.cumbria.sch.uk
Pupil Parliament (formerly School Council)
Welcome to the Stoneraise Pupil Parliament
At Stoneraise School, we believe in equipping our children with a deep understanding of democracy and political engagement. Following one of our teachers taking part in the UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador Programme, we made the exciting decision to transform our already successful School Council into a Pupil Parliament that directly mirrors how the UK Parliament works in Westminster. This transition is a key part of our continued effort to develop our children's political literacy and reinforce our commitment to British Values.
From School Council to Pupil Parliament
Our former School Council was highly successful in bringing about positive change across the school. Our children have historically helped to transform many areas of school life, including: Reviewing and influencing what's on our lunch menu; helping to redesign how our outdoor spaces are set up; working to improve the safety of our road outside the school building; developing kindness through the school community with the inspiring Kindness Tree initiative.
Our Democratic System in Action
To launch this new system, we worked closely with our local MP, Markus Campbell-Savours. In September 2025, following a visit by our Year 6 children to Westminster Palace in London, we held our first ever Pupil Parliament General Election! Our children voted for their peers to become Members of Pupil Parliament (MPPs) to serve in our House of Commons. Staff members selected children to make up the members of our House of Lords. Combined, these children form our full Pupil Parliament.
How It Works
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State Opening: We held a formal State Opening of Pupil Parliament at the start of the year, where the MPPs shared their focus for the academic year and encouraged the rest of the school community to engage with our new democratic system.
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Identification: MPPs wear a distinct yellow 'Stoneraise Pupil Parliament' badge so they can be easily spotted and approached.
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Regular Meetings & Record-Keeping: They hold regular, formal meetings where a detailed record is kept of any decisions made, just like Hansard in the Houses of Parliament.
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MPP Surgeries: The Members of Pupil Parliament hold regular surgeries in our outdoor classroom. This is a vital opportunity for every child in school to share their views, ask questions, and pass on their ideas about what's going well and what could be better. This ensures all children's voices are heard and feeds directly into the Pupil Parliament meetings.
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Select Committees: The children also sit on different Select Committees to break down the work into smaller, focused working groups.
Our Voice in Westminster
Our commitment to political engagement has reached the very heart of the UK Parliament. Our children recently shared a petition with UK Parliament arguing why it is so important for all school-aged children to be able to visit Westminster at least once during their time in education.In an incredible moment for our school, Markus Campbell-Savours shared this petition in the House of Commons, and it was broadcast on Parliament TV! Our school's name will now forever be enshrined in Hansard, the official written record of everything said in UK Parliament.
Developing Political Literacy and British Values
Our Pupil Parliament is just one of the ways we develop our children's political understanding:
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Westminster Trips: We continue to take our children down to Westminster each summer for a tour of UK Parliament.
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UK Parliament Week: We take part in UK Parliament Week each year.
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Assemblies & Curriculum: Our weekly Picture News assembly often focuses on democracy and the rule of law in our country, and our PSHE curriculum is designed to foster political engagement and understanding of how UK Parliament works for us.
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Staff Expertise: We are proud to have a UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador on our staff who continually seeks to further develop teachers' knowledge and understanding of our political system.
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Working with Others: We've teamed up with our local Youth MP to discuss how the UK Youth Parliament works and how our children could get involved.
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Direct Engagement: Our children regularly write to our local MPs about issues important to our school and the wider world, and our MPs frequently come to visit our school.
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Mock Elections: During national elections, we held a mock general election, inviting local candidates to talk to us. From this, the children created their own political parties and shared manifestos for change.
Get Involved
If you want to find out more about our Pupil Parliament and see democracy in action, we are hoping to hold an open gallery so that you can observe a meeting for yourself—just like you can do in Westminster. Keep an eye on our school calendar for more details!