What is the Rights Respecting Schools Award?
This is an award given to schools on behalf of UNICEF. In 1989 governments adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Summary of UNICEF rights The rights in the Convention are based upon needs that all children have in order to survive, grow, participate and fulfil their potential. Achieving the Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) means putting the rights and responsibilities of children at the heart of the school's planning, policies, practice, ethos and vision.
What is a Rights Respecting school?
A rights' respecting school is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted.
Doing this, we believe, will help our pupils become confident, caring and responsible young people both in school and in the wider world. By learning about their rights our pupils, your children, also learn about their accompanying responsibilities.
There are 42 child-specific articles in the UNCRC, but they can be summed up as follows:
The right to a childhood.
The right to an education.
The right to be healthy.
The right to be treated fairly.
The right to a voice.
Our Rights Respecting Steering Group
The aim of the Steering group is to ensure the school know about the different articles and our rights as a child. It is very important that we all keep an open mind, we give everyone time to speak, we listen to the opinions of others and we take part in discussions. Just as article 12 states, all children have the right to have their opinions heard and taken seriously. We will meet once a term and feedback to our classes. We will lead on raising awareness of others.
You tube video clip- what are child's rights?
How might we achieve the silver award?
At Rodborough, we are working together to promote the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as a community. All adults within school are aware of their roles as ‘Duty Bearers’ and encourage children to enjoy their Rights. Every classroom has a class charter linked to the UNCRC, lessons are linked to articles, assemblies refer to the convention and our SDP and policies have articles attached to them. Through discussion in and outside the classroom, our children are recognising how their rights empower them and are using this to make positive changes in and outside of the school community.
There are four key areas of impact for children at a Rights Respecting school: wellbeing, participation, relationships and self-esteem. The RRSA Impacts children and whole school communities in the following areas:
- Children learn about rights
- Children can exercise their rights
- A culture of respect across the school
- Pupil engagement – a shared sense of community and belonging
- A culture where children’s voices are heard and valued
- Children take their right to an education seriously
- Global citizenship – children believe they can change the world for the better
- Children develop self-esteem and value themselves
- A school environment where children feel safe and cared for
- Adults also benefit from a rights respecting culture schools holding the RRSA
- Children are healthier and happier; children feel safe; children have better relationships and children become active and involved in school life and the wider world.
