Children’s Commissioner visits Outwood Grange Academy to champion student voice

During the visit, Dame Rachel engaged with students in an interactive session featuring content she helped create for VotesforSchools.

This educational platform provides weekly voting resources designed to prompt discussion on topical issues, help young people develop informed opinions and share their voices with key decision-makers.

The session was followed by a discussion around key issues affecting young people today, with Dame Rachel, Education Policy Lead Pete Whitehead, students, and the school’s Personal Development lead, Julekha Motara.

Outwood Grange Academy has integrated the VotesforSchools initiative into its curriculum for the past eight years.

The visit recognised this as well as the academy’s commitment to empowering student voices on key societal issues.

It also highlighted the mutual commitment of both the Children’s Commissioner and Outwood Grange Academy in ensuring that these views are heard by policymakers.

Julekha Motara, Outwood Grange Academy’s Personal Development lead, said: “It is a real privilege to have Dame Rachel de Souza visit the academy and engage directly with our students.

"Her visit is significant recognition of the sustained work we do at Outwood Grange Academy to give our students a platform to develop their voice, express their views, and engage with important issues”.

A spokesperson for VotesforSchools said: “We are so delighted that The Children’s Commissioner was able to visit one of our most committed schools and see VotesforSchools in action.

"We hope Dame Rachel came away with a clear insight into the empathy, critical thinking and open-mindedness that VotesforSchools and Outwood Grange Academy seek to instil in young people.

"She may even have met a future Children’s Commissioner!”