It's entirely up to you which activities you decide to try, and you can do them in whatever order you'd like.
If your school isn't already part of the Cost of the School Day Voice network, and you'd like your young people to get the chance to take part in meetings, events and activities, just sign up to get started.
An activity to help your group promote support available in your school community.
Design a poster campaign to raise the profile of your group and tell everyone about support available in your school.
The Cost of the School Day group at St John Ogilvie High School with the poster campaign they designed
The Cost of the School Day group at St John Ogilvie High School in South Lanarkshire created posters to let the rest of the school know what help was available and encourage pupils to come forward and take what they need.
Tweet from the Cost of the School Day group at Auchenharvie Academy
Share information with others in your school, people who have an interest in education and your local community.
Some Cost of the School Day groups have their own social media accounts where they share information about what they’re up to, ask questions to their school communities and raise awareness of support available in school.
Auchenharvie Academy (@AuchenharvieT), Holyrood Secondary School (@HolyroodCOTSD) and Braes High School (@OnandUpBHS and on Instagram at instagram.com/braes_cosd) have all used social media accounts to share information about what they're doing.
Pupils from West Calder High School’s Cost of the School Day group in West Lothian say:
“We promote our events on a regular basis through our social media platforms. This has been a very powerful way of catching the attention of our local MSP as we tag them and then our posts get more attention too. We continue to raise awareness of cost of school day through our weekly snapshots which are sent to all of our families and people within our community.”
Here are a few questions to help you think about how your group might use social media:
Raise awareness of cost issues in your school and promote the help available to families.
As a group, you can have a think about all the different events and days that happen at your school. Which ones mean you need to spend money? As a group, you could help decide which events are most important for your school. Are they well spaced out? How much money is being asked for?
You can make your school costs calendar as colourful and interactive as you like.
Abbey Primary School in South Lanarkshire created their own cost calendar. To get you started, you'll find the Cost of the School Day Calendar below.
Making sure that young people have all they need to take part and learn at school.
Lots of schools make sure that the resources people need to learn are available in classrooms or around the school. For instance Holyrood High School has take-what-you-need trolleys in all departments and Kirkintilloch High School has a preparation station. Pupils are encouraged to borrow things like pens, pencils, calculators, study guides and personal items like period products and deodorant.
Tweet from Holyrood High School's Cost of the School Day group about their take-what-you-need trollies
When you're setting up a resource like this, here are a few things to consider:
Be part of policy decisions in your school and ensure that young people's voices are heard in important discussions.
Uniform costs can put pressure on family budgets. Your group can work with pupils and parents to help review your current uniform policy and make sure it’s affordable for everyone
Keith Grammar in Moray took a whole-school approach to reviewing their uniform policy, and came up with a simple and affordable policy together.
Some things to think about:
Ensure that your group is involved in making important decisions at your school.
Lots of schools are looking at how they ask for and collect money for fundraising and fun days.
Newton Primary learners set up their free Christmas fayre activity
At Newton Primary in South Ayrshire pupils came up with fun and free activities at their Christmas Fayre.
Pupil fundraising committees can make sure these days don’t put pressure on families, making sure there are no set donation amounts and operating a ‘chuck it in a bucket’ approach where money collections are in central areas of the school and young people can discreetly provide a donation without worry.
What could your group do to make charity and fun days more affordable?
If your school isn't already part of the Cost of the School Day Voice network, and you'd like your young people to get the chance to take part in meetings, events and activities, just sign up here.
