As stated in the Harvest Home Primary School vision, the students are at the centre and purpose of all that we do. We prepare students to pursue their goals, interests, and aspirations.
With this on mind, we believe that when students have a strong sense of agency, starting with more commitment and a strengthened focus on their learning, a positive cycle of learning is generated. Students who are empowered to take ownership of their learning understand and contribute to the development of learning intentions, are invested in the assessment processes, and monitor their own learning and improvement.
As students become invested in their own learning, they gain a better understanding of what good learning is and the purpose of it. This enables them to evaluate their own work, and to discuss progress and achievement more purposefully with teachers, each of which has a significant effect size on achievement (Hattie, 2009).
In addition, empowering students to become partners in school decision making is recognition that students are knowledgeable experts in their lives. It acknowledges they can contribute to improving our schools and wider school communities.
At Harvest Home Primary school, we are focussed on creating the conditions, employing the practices, and developing the behaviours, dispositions, attitudes and learning environments that are advantageous to the expansion of student voice, agency, and leadership.
The Harvest Home Primary School ‘Buzz Leaders’ are a group of elected student leaders who engage in a range of activities that are aimed to promote the voice of their peers in school decision-making processes and activities.
The types of activities they participate in are:
The Buzz Leaders are students from Year 2 to Year 6. The cross-section of students ensures the development of leadership, communication, and thinking skills, as well as ensuring that the wider school's student voice is heard and considered.
The model of electing each Learning Communities’ Buzz leader is not undertaken by the teachers or leadership team, but rather, is fully organised and facilitated by the Year 6 student leaders. This ensures that every student’s vote matters, so everyone can have a say about who they want to represent their voice. This process ensures that student voice stays with the students themselves.
Harvest Home Primary School is committed to promoting the voice and agency of all our students across each part of the school to ensure that we are creating a respectful and collaborative school community through the lens of our students.