The BCE Student Voice Network has won the Partnership for Change Award at the 2025 National Awards for a commitment to sustained, system-wide partnership driving meaningful change.
Hosted by the Australian Council for Student Voice (ACSV), the Awards recognise outstanding initiatives in student voice and partnership across Australia.
BCE Student Protection Lead Carolyn De Witt-Ryall said BCE was leading the way in incorporating student voice in our decision-making at a school and system level, with two of our schools also selected as finalists in the Awards.
“At BCE, one of our highest priorities is the safety of our students,” Carolyn said.
“Student voice is central to empowering our students to know when and how to seek help, contributing to a safer school environment.”
The BCE Student Voice journey began in 2017, driven by the BCE Student Protection Team's desire to enhance students' feelings of safety at school.
The BCE Student Voice Network was formed in 2024 and has contributed to measurable change in education and policy at BCE, including consultation on the 2025-2027 BCE Strategic Plan and creating a student friendly resource explaining the Code of Conduct for BCE staff.
“It was an honour for our work to be recognised at the Awards and a testament to the commitment and talent of BCE students who share their voice so we can foster school communities that are inclusive, safe, and student-centred,” Carolyn said.
Congratulations to St Joseph’s Primary School Corinda and Guardian Angels' Primary School Ashmore for their well-deserved nominations.
About the school nominees
Guardian Angels' Primary School Ashmore was a finalist in the Student Voice Partnership for Change and Student Voice Impact categories. Student voice, agency, and partnerships have become ‘a way of being’ at the school. Students see themselves as valued partners with teachers, and teachers create conditions with students to enhance their partnership and collaborative cultures. As one child commented, “Voice is in everything we do”.
St Joseph’s Primary School Corinda was a finalist in the Student Voice Impact category for the co-design of a new playground. The Student Playground Committee brought together students and staff to design a new playground and shape outdoor spaces at the school. A Year 6 student committee collaborated closely with landscape architects to bring the vision of the wider student body to life.
Student Voice is at the centre of Standard 2 of the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards, which mandates that children and adults are safe, informed and participate in decisions affecting them, and are taken seriously. It outlines the importance of providing students with information and opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their lives.