Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA)
'The Rights Respecting Schools Award puts children’s rights at the heart of schools in the UK.
Unicef works with schools in the UK to create safe and inspiring places to learn, where children are respected, their talents are nurtured and they are able to thrive. Our Rights Respecting Schools Award embeds these values in daily school life and gives children the best chance to lead happy, healthy lives and to be responsible, active citizens.
Using the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as our guide, UNICEF are working with more UK schools than almost any other organisation. Over 1.5 million children in the UK go to a Rights Respecting School and more than 4,500 schools up and down the country are working through the Award. Schools work with UNICEF on a journey to become fully Rights Respecting.
The Award recognises a school’s achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into practice within the school and beyond.'
At St Peter's, we believe in the ethos and spirit behind this award. We are delighted to have achieved the UNICEF Rights Respecting School Bronze Award. This means we have shown evidence of being 'Rights Committed'.
What does a BRONZE Rights Respecting School look like? (Taken from the RRS website)
- We have introduced the RRSA and what it means into our school community
- Our school’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) understands what is involved in the Award and is committed to embarking on the UNICEF UK Rights Respecting journey
- The right foundations are in place for our school’s journey to the second stage of the Award, Silver: Rights Aware
Our work towards the BRONZE accreditation included:
- Establishing a 'Steering Group' (our Pupil Parliament) of adults and children who help to drive the programme across school. This captures the voice of the child and adds to the important jobs our pupil leaders already do.
- Weekly focus on an Article of the Week associated with themes running through the school such as Black History Month, Anti-Bullying Week, Celebrating Differences Day. These are taught through class stories, discussion and assemblies.
- Each class has created its own Class Charter that encourages children to behave in a 'rights respecting' manner. We find that these behaviour principles work in perfect harmony with our own set of school values.
- Staff training to secure a commitment from the whole staff to the principles of the RRS and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- Displays in school that promote our RR journey.
We now intend to work towards achieving the SILVER: Rights Aware stage of the Rights Respecting School journey.