How This SEN School in Wolverhampton Built a School Council That Gives Every Student a Voice
In this new episode of All Chalk, we speak to Hannah Jarman, Head of PSHE, SRE, and Preparation for Adulthood at Penn Fields School in Wolverhampton. Hannah shares how their SEN school has created a school council that’s inclusive, accessible, and built around the needs of every learner, not just a vocal few.
From the start, Hannah and her team recognised that traditional school councils often fail to engage students with complex needs or communication challenges. At Penn Fields, they’ve taken a different route, placing pupil voice at the centre of school life through the Smart School Councils model.
By embedding regular class meetings into the curriculum and linking pupil voice to real-world learning, the school is helping students build essential skills for life beyond the classroom: confidence, communication, leadership, and active citizenship.
“Their voices are the future… it’s a lot of children knowing we’re listening to them, which is why we do it.”
— Hannah Jarman, Penn Fields School
In this episode, we explore:
✅ Why Penn Fields moved away from a traditional, elected model of school council
✅ How pupil voice is woven into PSHE, careers, and preparation for adulthood
✅ How the school ensures non-verbal and neurodiverse learners are included
✅ The impact of structured class meetings and debate on student confidence
✅ How pupil suggestions - even the ambitious ones! - are acknowledged and discussed
✅ Why their Smart School Council board has become a living, visible part of school culture
Hannah also shares how pupil-led initiatives, like volunteering with the school’s chosen charity, are giving students hands-on experience and helping them connect learning with the wider community.
Whether you're in an SEN provision or simply looking to make your school council more inclusive and purposeful, this episode is full of practical ideas and inspiration.
Want to check it out?
