Cordwalles school opens up doors to future decision makers

Cordwalles Junior School in Camberley became a mini-Westminster for the day recently when the school hosted the summer meeting of the Surrey Heath Junior Council.

The group is an off-shoot of the Surrey Heath Youth Council, aimed at younger children. The Youth Council is run by the local borough council to encourage young people to air their views and contribute to the debate over decision making in the area, and has in the past counted as a contribution towards extra-curricular schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh award.

Junior councillors from seven other schools in the area teamed up with their Cordwalles counterparts for a wide range of activities, including a workshop on developing resilience, a guided tour of the school by Cordwalles pupils, and transforming gazebos into storytelling dens as a collaborative activity.

The day ended with the council members working together to bring to life the story of a myth or legend, and presenting it to a class of Year Two pupils from two other local schools - Pine Ridge Infants and Lorraine.

“This was a superb day for the whole Cordwalles school,” said teacher Sam Alley Mohindra. “The children acted as great hosts, and everyone who came to take part, in whatever way, really took a lot from the experience. Being involved in schemes like this is a challenging
experience for the children as it involves activities they’re not used to in their everyday lives, but it was one that they really embraced and made the most of.

“The day was a great opportunity for Cordwalles to showcase its engaging and thematic curriculum, as well as a school to demonstrate the quality of hard working pupils it is producing. Being involved in the Junior Council is a different kind of educational experience for the children, and they’re already looking forward to the next meeting in the autumn, and the new opportunities that will present to them.”