The effect of student voice on the perception of student agency

•A student led committee improved student perception of student agency.•Student and staff perception of agency and consultation did not match each other.•The relative inaction of a student led committee reduced the perceived agency of its members.•The perceived importance of student voice and its relation to agency is high. Student voice and agency are important topics in education, but related initiatives remain under-investigated. This study investigates the link between student voice and perception of student agency through the introduction of a student-led committee using a longitudinal mixed-method approach in an independent secondary school in Scotland. Paired-samples t-tests were conducted for the students’ (n = 95) responses showing an increase in mean effect (p = 0.025) of the introduction of the committee on student perception of student consultation and decision making in the school. Committee members reported a reduction in their sense of agency (n = 5, p = 0.045). Qualitative data is presented to support the discussion of results which suggest student-led committees affect the perception of student agency and wider school ethos is important.