Student voice is at the heart of everything we do at Bremore Educate Together Secondary School (ETSS). We have many activities that provide students with a chance to participate and have a say.
Our Student Council plays a big role in making decisions and improving school life and also has a seat on the Board of Management. Hear more about some of our projects.
Working with teachers
In 2024, two of our Senior Student Leaders began working with teachers to spot great teaching practices and share them with others to make learning in our school even better. Students are invited by volunteer teachers into class to observe a lesson they are teaching.
They discuss the lesson using an agreed framework and focus on the elements of the lesson that they would like to see in all classes. The teachers and Student Leaders then decide together what elements they want to share with all staff. It's an affirmative experience for both teachers and students.
Making a difference in so many ways
- Our Student Voice Development Team is working with researchers from University College Cork (UCC) on laws that affect children. “It’s things like this that make me excited to come to school,” says Chloe.
- Other students worked with Professor Laura Lundy at Queen’s University Belfast to share ideas on improving student participation. “It was an amazing experience,” says Leon. "We got to present our plans and share our ideas on how to improve student participation"
- At Bremore, students can even create their own clubs and projects. “I like how we can suggest our own clubs. It makes school more fun,” says Leon.
Student-friendly school policies
Our Student Voice Development Team worked hard to rewrite our Anti-Bullying and Attendance policies in child-friendly language, so everyone understands their rights and responsibilities.
This idea came from two students who worked with Professor Lundy and the European Commission on producing child-friendly documents. Alex shares, “I started this work in 2021 online and during Covid. It was exciting to be asked how our voices could be heard at an EU level.”
In 2023, two students, Alex and Alessia, presented this work at the EU Forum on the Rights of the Child. After that, they brought what they learned back to the school and, with the support of school management, created child-friendly versions of other policies. “We wanted to make sure everyone could understand the rules and feel safe at school,” explains Alessia.
Now this has become the practice in our school. Jane adds, “We meet every Thursday to work on new policies. It’s a real team effort.”
Leading student voice across Europe
- In 2024, Aleksander became a member of the EU Child Participation Platform’s Advisory Board. “It’s a big responsibility,” he says, “but it’s great to know that young people like me can help make decisions.”
- In 2025, Lisa Marie spoke at a Youth Dialogue meeting in Dublin with Commissioner Michael McGrath. “It was fantastic,” she says. “I spoke about how young people need to be properly informed before voting.”
- Also in 2025, Adam represented Bremore at ‘Your Europe, Your Say’ (YEYS) and attended Civil Society Week. “I learned that young people can help shape the future by getting involved in politics,” he says.
Bremore ETSS: a place where student voice really matters
“Everyone shares their ideas, and we make decisions that we all agree on,” says Jamie. “It's great to have a say in what happens at school," says Ruaíri.
We have both Junior and Senior Student Voice Development Teams. Right now, the Junior team is working on a Walk to School Campaign, while the Senior team is leading a Recycling Campaign.
“We feel more confident speaking up now,” says Conor. “We’ve learned that young people can make a difference.” As Lisa Marie says: “It’s important for young people to be heard – our ideas can shape the future.”
Principal Kathy Jones says, "This is just the beginning; we are still learning how to make the students voice and participation in school life better. We are enjoying the journey. When students feel heard, they feel valued. This builds engagement, strengthens relationships, and improves learning outcomes, while developing important skills like critical thinking and leadership."
At Bremore, students don’t just learn about the world – we help change it!