Minutes:
Council of Portsmouth Students (CoPS)
The Chair invited Jessi Wilson, Unloc Programme Facilitator - Leadership Skills and Student Voice and Simran Bansil, Year 8 student at Portsmouth Grammar School and CoPS Diversity Advisor to make a presentation to the SACRE on the work of the Council of Portsmouth Students (CoPS). They informed the SACRE that CoPS is one of the Student Forums facilitated by Unloc, another being the Primary Council of Portsmouth Students (PCoPS) and that the student representatives wholly shape their Forum each academic year. The CoPS Mission statement (developed by young people) is:
“The Council of Portsmouth Students, facilitated by Unloc, is a student forum for young people across the city of Portsmouth to collaboratively work together to drive institution improvement in their community and the city. Our mission is to elevate young people, enhance their learning, and empower them to be in the driving seat of the decisions they make. We want to revolutionise the future of Portsmouth, to improve how things are done, and generate leaders to choose their own pathways and create change for themselves and others."
In Portsmouth, 10 institutions are involved this year with 55 students (Years 7-11) participating across a range of activities including 3 Summits, three Executive Group meetings, one Institution Group Check-In and a Student Voice Celebration Day. In addition, there are five action groups: climate change/ eco-friendly; diversity and inclusion group; life skills and careers; mental health and wellbeing; sexism and stereotypes. Each action group has three priorities and has developed an action plan to deliver on those priorities.
Simran was elected to the post of Diversity Advisor on the Executive Committee and is also a member of the Diversity and Inclusion action group. This group's priorities are: Educating young people on the meaning and impact of using slurs; campaigning for greater diversity and inclusion in school-based resources including books, class handouts and guests; and lobbying for gender neutral toilets and other facilities in all schools. Simran's role as Diversity Adviser includes attending additional meetings outside of CoPS including City Council, Youth Cabinet, SACRE etc and to report the outcomes of these meetings to the Forum.
In answer to a question from Beth Smith,
Jessie Wilson said that Mayfield would be welcome to join
CoPS; that the programme runs for each academic year and involves
buy in. Beth Smith commented that she would follow-up as she
could identify several students at the school who would benefit
from participating in the programme.
Taki Jaffer (Group D) enquired what had made Simran join CoPS. She replied that she had participated in her school's Middle School Council, Jessi had visited to talk about CoPS and she had been inspired to take part. She had then stood for election as Diversity Advisor, which was a new role this year, and had been elected. In response to a further question from the Chair, Simran explained that the action group aimed to help educate young people about the meaning of slurs, encourage greater diversity and inclusion (including neuro diversity eg. dyslexia) and gender neutral facilities.
Justine Ball (SACRE Advisor) commented that the link between RE and collective worship and general work on diversity was interesting. Jessi Wilson added that CoPS could help by going to young people who are making their GCSE options and ask if they were going to choose RE and if not, why not? They added that young people wanted to be heard, we just need to ask right questions.
Pastor Chris Thomas (Group A) enquired how CoPS is publicised at schools. Jessi Wilson explained that Unloc is in contact with School Councils across the City and that once involved schools get a certificate to display in their reception area.
The Chair thanked Simran and Jessi Wilson for the presentation and all the information provided. Taki Jaffer noted that the next meeting is scheduled to take place at the Mosque and that when it was built 12 years ago it was the most environmentally friendly Mosque in Europe. He invited members of CoPS to attend the meeting or arrange a separate visit.
RESOLVED: To note the information provided to the SACRE.