Talking Groups are an alternative to a school council, providing children a chance to share their ideas about our school, talk about the world around us and collaborate with children in different year groups to their own. 

Our Talking Groups take place on a Thursday morning, from 9:05am - 9:30am. Each Talking Group is made up of approximately 30 children from Year 1 to Year 6 who are all in the same house (Robin, Woodpecker, Kingfisher or Goldfinch), and has a designated teacher and classroom to meet in. After registration, the children will make their way to their Talking Group classroom, with the older children guiding the younger children as needed. Year 1 children do not join the Talking Groups until the spring term to allow time for them to settle into their new classes.

The Talking Groups system will usually follow a four-week rolling structure:

Week 1: Talking group – Pupil voice 

Week 2: Buddy class e.g. shared reading, older children leading games, sharing work 

Week 3: Talking group – ‘About our world’ e.g. inspirational people, Newsround discussions, links to national/international days and weeks 

Week 4: Online Safety- Project Evolve (in class)  

In addition to this structure, there will be a once-termly whole house meeting.

We find that participation in Talking Groups helps to build children's confidence, make new friends and enhance the feeling of community at Summercroft and we are very much looking forward to them starting back next week with a buddy class meet-up.