Student Parliament

Here at Penrice, we value every voice.

The Student Parliament is the new channel for democracy at Penrice, giving students the opportunity to have their voices heard in a structured and organised format.

Penrice Student Parliament Format

A graphic showing the parliament format. 80 elected student mps can apply to become senior MPs. The joint-prime ministers are the two Head Students in Year 11.

January 2025 Update

The elections are now complete! Congratulations to all elected members of our new Student Parliament! Competition for places was hotly contested, with a total of 262 students applying for the 80 available seats in parliament.

There was a fantastic first meeting of the new Student Parliament on Tuesday 28th January. After some short presentations and a warm welcome from our Head Students (Meredith and Barnaby), the MPs soon got stuck into deep discussions about:
– What area of school would you like to improve and why?
– How can we build a stronger sense of community?
– What issue in your year group do you feel we need to address first?

Discussions will continue in classrooms in February as Student MPs canvas the opinion of their tutor groups, ensuring that every voice is valued. In the meantime, interviews have been taking place for the Senior MP roles in the cabinet. Well done to all who have applied and please watch this space as we publicly announce new student leaders between now and half-term.

Apply to become a Senior Student MP

Senior MPs will be greatly empowered to have an impact on school life in an area close to their heart, delivering positive change. These roles are also a great chance to further build your CVs. The role descriptions are purely a guide and in no way a set of expectations – the roles will very much be what you make of them if appointed. Relevant teachers will be on hand to support you in these roles.

Applications for our Cabinet (Senior MP) roles have now closed (as of Wednesday 22nd January). Shortlisting is currently taking place and we will be in contact with all applicants in the near future.

Next Step – Short Presentation

After the closing date of 21st January, if your online application is successful, you will be asked to prepare and deliver a short two-slide presentation to a small audience of no more than three teachers. You can download and use the powerpoint template below, or alternatively create your own slides from scratch.

Senior MPs (The Cabinet)

The available Senior MP roles are as follows:

  • Secretary of State for Year 7 (Year 7 applicants only).
  • Secretary of State for Year 8 (Year 8 applicants only).
  • Secretary of State for Year 9 (Year 9 applicants only).
  • Secretary of State for Year 10 (Year 10 applicants only).
  • Sports Minister (Year 9 and 10 applicants only).
  • Arts Minister (Year 9 and 10 applicants only).
  • Environment Minister (Year 9 and 10 applicants only).
  • Charities & Communities Minister (Year 9 and 10 applicants only).
  • Student Wellbeing Minister (Year 9 and 10 applicants only).
  • Media & Communications Minister (Year 9 and 10 applicants only).
  • Inclusion Minister (Year 9 and 10 applicants only).