The student council is an integral and highly active part of the Gortnor Abbey school community. The aim of the Student Council is to work in partnership with the Board of Management, staff, administration and parents for the benefit of the whole school community. The Student Council strives to build a relationship based on mutual respect and trust with all in the school and supports the staff, management and parents in their efforts to create and maintain an environment conducive to educational and personal development. The Student Council strives to provide a line of communication between students, management, staff and parents.

The student council is currently comprised of 17 members, with each representing their class group. Every student in the school is entitled to run for election and the elected students endeavour to provide a voice for their class group within the school community. The Student Council aims to meet once every two weeks, with each member voicing any queries or concerns on behalf of their class group and reporting back to their respective classes within the agreed report.

The Student Council is responsible for numerous fundraisers throughout the year, such as the annual Christmas jumper day, the proceeds of which this year, went towards supporting the work of UNICEF in Yemen. The Student Council also conducts reviews and surveys of various aspects of school life including canteen facilities, code of behaviour and other school policies. Over the past number of years we have been instrumental in introducing outdoor picnic benches for students’ leisure during lunch time, with plans to continue introducing a new bench every year, due to popular demand. The Student Council was also reviewed as part of the recent Whole School Evaluation, and it was very highly commended for its tenacity and involvement in all aspects of school life.