Update
School students want to drive change but lack the infrastructure to do so at scale
NUSS launches, Aug 2026
The National Union of School Students is a student body made up of student representatives from schools across England, Scotland and Wales. From today schools can affiliate themselves with NUSS.
We are actively transforming the problem of isolated, tokenistic and often powerless student councils into a national movement rooted in democracy and collective power.
Currently, only 20% believe that “politics takes the voices of young people seriously” (2024, Youth Voice in Politics Report). This is what NUSS’ creation is working to change.
We’re not the first
Did you know that in the past NUSS already existed!? In the 1970s NUSS was set up to represent student voices - campaigning specifically on an end to corporal (physical) punishment in schools.
In a time where young people want to make a positive difference in an environment where they lack pathways to influencing the decisions that affect them; where young people have just been granted Votes at 16 and where there is a decline in youth engagement in the formal processes of democracy - what we need is a permanent organisation capable of scaling student-led engagement at a national level.
That is what we plan to do. As set out in the recently published report from the APPG for Schools, Learning and Assessment - ‘Empowering students as democratic citizens: how schools and colleges can prepare young people for votes at 16’ - support for the creation of NUSS was laid out directly as a recommendation to government, “a powerful structure for student voice and participation in policymaking … embedded across the education system”.
A track-record of success across the globe.
The model we are discussing already exists - across Europe. Ireland, Norway, France, Germany and Belgium are examples of where students are supported and represented at a national level. The Irish Secondary-level Students Union represents about 70% of secondary school students and has driven many wide-reaching changes including on national policy.
Until now, the rest of the UK has had no equivalent - we are working to change that from today.
Join us today!
We will be working to build and provide a single credible body to consult on education policy and policies impacting school students; NUSS through its creation will work to support on development opportunities for school councils, so they can grow as effective hubs for democracy and citizenship education, as well as supporting students themselves to raise issues and label priorities - supporting them to make effective change! Through this we hope to support the creation of a generation who know from experience that they have power, influence and agency.
So, if you are a student, teacher, school representative or young person - find out how you can join or support NUSS today!
Sources: July 2026, APPG Report on ‘Empowering students as democratic citizens: how schools and colleges can prepare young people for votes at 16’. 2024, The Diana Award - Youth Voice in Politics Report.