At Thinking Schools Academy Trust, we talk often about developing “metacognitive learners” - young people who can think for themselves, reflect and make informed decisions.
But if we truly want our pupils to grow into confident, active citizens, then we must also give them real opportunities to influence the decisions that affect them.
That principle sits at the heart of our approach as a trust. We’re continually looking for ways to embed pupil voice across our academies and whole organisation, not just in teaching and learning, but in the strategic decisions that shape daily school life.
Pupils shaping strategic decisions
Our recent catering tender, the first time we’ve run a trust-wide procurement process for school food, was one such opportunity. While it might sound like a straightforward operational task, we saw it as a chance to live out our values.
Food is a deeply personal and social part of school life. It impacts wellbeing, inclusion and culture as much as it does nutrition. We therefore wanted a partner who could not only deliver healthy meals but also a service that reflected our community.
Just as importantly, we wanted pupils to see that their opinions can shape strategic decisions, not just classroom activities, and shed light on the work that goes into making choices such as this.
How we involved pupils
We began by engaging both our primary and secondary pupil council networks. Each school has a sub-committee responsible for food, and those representatives led the conversation on what mattered most to their schools.
Together, the pupils developed five key questions for potential providers, covering priorities such as sustainability, health, inclusivity and menu variety. These were built directly into the tender process, forming a dedicated pupil voice section worth 15 per cent of the total evaluation score.
Each bidder was asked to create a short, accessible video responding to the questions. Pupils across our schools then reviewed and scored those videos using an online form, with results fed into the overall scoring matrix. This virtual element meant every school across our regions could participate fairly.
What we learned along the way
The process was not without its challenges. We quickly realised that while pupils were enthusiastic, they needed context to make informed judgements.
While senior leaders ensured the legal requirements on food standards were accounted for, we talked to pupils about the different elements to consider, such as costs and logistics, so their scoring was grounded in reality.
Balancing pupil input with financial and legal considerations was another key learning. While in two regions the pupils’ top choice matched the trust’s final decision, in the third region, their preferred option came second after we weighed operational and compliance factors.
Being transparent about why those final choices were made helped pupils understand how their voice fits within a bigger framework of responsibility.
A new way of working
The catering partner we ultimately selected offered an inclusive, modern menu that reflected many of the themes raised by pupils - variety, nutrition, accessibility and cultural awareness.
For example, we now have exciting street food on offer from around the world and allergen buddies to provide trusted guidance for pupils.
But for us, the most meaningful outcome was the process itself. Pupils saw how collaboration and compromise work in practice, and how governance decisions involve more than just preference. It made pupil voice authentic rather than symbolic.
Embedding pupil voice into strategy isn’t always straightforward, but it’s worth it.
When young people are invited into decision-making processes, they develop a deeper understanding of leadership, accountability and impact. It also strengthens trust between pupils and staff, showing that listening to those we serve doesn’t just improve outcomes, it transforms relationships, too.
Stuart Gardner is CEO of Thinking Schools Academy Trust
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