One of the first things visitors to Trinity Academy comment upon is the positive ethos which is so obvious as soon as you walk through the front door. We believe this comes from both our teachers and the pupils working together as a result of our Student Council. In some schools, pupils do not have anything that represents their views and opinions. The Student Council of Trinity Academy was set up to enable the pupils to have a voice in the running of the school. We’re a group of young people who want to give something back to our school and local community. We raise issues within the school by representing our fellow peers and plan to overcome them by writing letters, making presentations, conducting surveys and  speaking to assemblies.

We have had various successes in the past, such as producing and releasing the first edition of a new school newspaper. It won a competition, and the prize was computing equipment for the school. The council also conducted a survey that showed that many students had been concerned about the state of the original school bike shelters. We then used this evidence in a letter that we sent to the council, requesting funding for a new bike facility. The local council representatives attended a Student Council presentation to discuss the advantages of a new bike shelter. The proposal was accepted, and a new bike shelter was erected, which will benefit many generations of Trinity Academy pupils. Then, in order to try and combat the declining standards of uniform, we gave a short presentation at our school’s assemblies to promote uniform. We’re also really concerned about our local environment and have organised sponsored litter picks in the past and plan more for this Spring.

This year, the Student Council is back in action! Already, we have launched an anti-alcohol campaign within our school, making eye-catching posters and putting them up around the school. Now, the council is working on two main projects. The first is an initiative for more lighting in our local Victoria Park. In order to achieve this, we have established a petition around the school, as well as actively lobbying our cause and sending letters to the council. Our second goal is to increase environmental awareness within our school by working in tandem with the Eco Group. We hope to achieve the Silver Certificate for the Eco Schools award. We are also trying to encourage the use of Fair Trade and we are working on a presentation to give in assemblies to help us achieve this.

The Trinity Academy Student Council (2009)