Speaking and Listening Activity

SPEAKING AND LISTENING ACTIVITY

Assessment Focus: Discuss, Argue, Persuade

TASK:You are part of the school council. An end of year meeting has been called to discuss spending £21,000.

You will all have a card that describes a role that you must take. You should play that part and use the information to help you in your speaking.

TARGET: You should make sure you show good listening skills to other people’s contributions but try to ensure that you get your views across as well.

TIP:Good speakers and listeners make sure that they listen to everyone’s ideas, ask questions and try to develop their points when speaking.

SCHOOL COUNCIL AGENDA

PRIORITIES:

To discuss requests for spending from all members of the school council, staff representatives and non-teaching staff.

Price lists and estimates:

Dishwasher / £550
Dishwasher cleaning products / £70 a year
New toilet block / £20,000
Full time toilet attendant / £4,000 a year
Extra funding fortrip to theme park / £ 900
Theatre company visit / £950
Outdoor statue or sculpture / £850
Indoor statue / £650
Wall plaque/ display / £150
Design plans for quiet area for Y7 / £1,500
Building of quiet area / £4,500
Amphitheatre /outdoor drama space plans / £950
Building of outdoor theatre / £5,000
Full time gardener – for 5 days / 5 days a week x 5hours @ £5.50 an hour = £1,000 a term = £4,000 a year
Part time gardener –for 2 days / 2 days a week x 5 hours @ £5.00 an hour = £400 a term = £ 1,600 a year
YOU ARE THE HEAD TEACHER.
You have to be fair and balanced making sure that everyone has a turn to speak.You know different people want different things but you also have to think what is best for the school – what will keep teachers happy and what will make students want to be at the school. Some areas of the school need money spent on them – you want to have better grounds. / YOU ARE A SIXTH FORMER.
The common room is a total mess. Cups and plates are left everywhere and the smell can get really bad. The same people end up having to wash them up all the time. You have all agreed that you desperately need a dishwasher. You think this would help keep the 6th Form happier and the 6th Form area cleaner.
YOU REPRESENT THE TEACHERS.
You have been asking for a new dishwasher and new carpet for the staff room for a year. No-one has time to wash up cups at break time and a dishwasher would help. The carpet is needed as it has not been replaced in 10 years. You think these two things would help keep the staff happier. / YOU ARE A YEAR 7 STUDENT.
You know that some Y7 find settling in to a school very difficult and that some get worried about bullying. You think that building a quiet area where they can go at dinner will help some students to settle in and will help to make people want to be at the school. Parents would be impressed.
YOU ARE THE HEAD OF DRAMA.
You want the outdoor theatre space as it would allow you to put on performances, give students new experiences and be an amazing teaching area. You think it would get good publicity for the school and would attract new students and teachers. If you cannot have the amphitheatre you want a theatre company to visit and work in school. / YOU ARE A DEPUTY HEAD.
It is the school’s fiftieth anniversary and you think there should be some special way of marking this. You want a statue or a plaque. If you get the outdoor statue you are worried about vandals but you think it would be good to have for the school. You also think if the amphitheatre or quiet area is built the school will need a gardener.
YOU ARE A YEAR 9 STUDENT.
Year 9 have worked so hard for their exams they feel they deserve a school trip before the end of term. They have paid £15 to get into a theme park but need help with some money for transport. You know the head does not like theme parks and might say no but this is what 90% of Year 9 voted for. / YOU ARE A YEAR 10 STUDENT.
You want to have new toilets. A friend’s school has a toilet attendant and you know this means the toilets are kept clean, trouble and graffiti free. Good toilets are important because it shows that the school respects students. They will be expensive but it would be good for all students and would impress parents.