Rights Respecting School

'The Rights Respecting Schools Award' (RRSA) recognises achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) at the heart of a school’s planning, policies, practice and ethos. A rights-respecting school not only teaches about children’s rights but also models rights and respect in all its relationships: between teachers / adults and pupils, between adults and between pupils.

We believe that being a Rights Respecting School supports a rich learning environment that places the best interests of the child at the heart of all our policy and practice. All of our classes have a learning and rights charters which ensure our young people are continuously reminded about how their actions contribute to a positive learning environment for everyone.

It is important that children recognise that rights should be respected. By this we mean;

For children: to respect the rights of others.
For parents: to respect and provide for the rights of their children. To fulfil their roles as duty bearers.
For adults: to respect and provide the rights of the child. To fulfil their roles as duty bearers.
For governments: to support families and to respect and provide for the rights of children. To fulfil their roles as duty bearers.

OUR CHARTERS

Each class has created class charters that support the philosophy of 'Everyone has a right.....Everyone has a responsibility'. We have also shared and compared our class charters with our partner schols in Brazil, Yemen, Jamaica, Jordan and Thailand. It has been really interesting comparing our values and ideas.

Our UNICEF Ambassadors are currently developing our school charter and playground charter. These Charters are in place for everyone to follow. We will also be sharing these with our partner schools.

OUR UNICEF AMBASSADORS AND STEERING GROUP

UNICEF Ambassadors attend meetings once every two weeks. They are also responsible for the school display, planning and monitoring UNICEF activities, feeding back to their classes through video reports and delivering assemblies. The steering group is made up of one member of the SLT, 3 teachers, 2 non-teacing staff, 2 parents,

HOW CAN PARENTS SUPPORT THEIR CHILD TO LEARN ABOUT THE CONVENTION AT HOME?

Take the time to ask your child what he/she has learnt recently regarding children’s rights

Discuss the ideas learned in class, and try to think of examples from your own experiences, or from the media, of rights being respected or denied.
Discuss how your child or your family can promote respect for rights, or help those whose rights have been violated.
Model using rights language with your children.
Ask your child’s opinion on children’s rights.