The Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA), recognises achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 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 maintaining relationships between teachers, parents and pupils.
We are very pleased and proud to have been awarded our Level 2 award on June 26th 2017. This achievement is due to the brilliant work of the children, staff and the RRSA steering group.
To achieve the UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School Award, schools are required to implement four evidence-based standards.
• Rights-respecting values underpin leadership and management
• The whole-school community learns about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
• The school has a rights-respecting ethos
• Children are empowered to become active citizens and learners.
Full accreditation is achieved by an external assessment process, whereby evidence is collated to show that the four standards have been met. To help your school implement the RRSA effectively, it has been broken down into three stages. Your school’s initial commitment to final assessment at Level 2 can take up to four years.
Recognition of Commitment
The headteacher and school leaders have committed to becoming a right-respecting school. Children and young people work alongside adults to decide how to develop a whole-school rights-respecting approach. The school submits electronic evidence to show the development of a baseline and action plan.
Level 1
The school implements the action plan and makes good progress towards embedding the values and principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into its ethos and curriculum. Assessors visit the school to accredit progress.
Level 2
The school has fully embedded the values and principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into its ethos and curriculum across all areas of the school. Assessors visit the school to establish that the Convention is embedded.
What impact does it have?
On the school
• RRSA is not an initiative, but instead provides an overarching set of values that improve the climate for learning and within which other initiatives can sit
• A deeper and more cohesive way of working
• Improved relationships with pupils and a reduced hierarchical divide between staff and pupils, due to a common rights-respecting language.
On children
• Improved self esteem and feelings of being valued and listened to
• Increased levels of respect for each other, leading to improved relationships with other pupils and with staff
• A sense of security as rights-respecting language and behaviour is used consistently throughout the school
• Improved attainment and attendance, and a reduction in exclusions
• An understanding and respect of religions, cultures, beliefs and abilities different to their own
• A wider and deeper understanding of the world in which they live.
On adults
• Strengthened collaborative working
• Increased consultative approach with other adults and pupils
• A sense of ownership in developing an approach that meets the needs and aspirations of the school as a whole
• A sense that the whole school is working towards a common goal, leading to feelings of empowerment for both staff and pupils
• A platform is developed for parental engagement and discussion.
For further information visit UNICEF
Article 29
Education must develop every child's personality, abilities and talents to the full. It must encourage the child's respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.
Rights Respecting Schools Award quick guide
Convention of the Rights of the Child
At both schools, we have held Rights Events, so that parents could come and learn about the CRC, and the work we have been doing towards achieving Level one of the Rights Respecting Schools Award. The children from Class 2 and Class 3 really enjoyed showing off their work, and talking about what we have been doing in school, there was also work on display from Class 1 and Nursery. The afternoon was a great success, with many parents attending.
Rights Event
We wrote letters to Edward Timpson, the Children's Minister about becoming a Right's Respecting School. We told him about which rights we thought were particularly important, which we had been learning about and even asked him about his favourite right! He recorded a video to thank the schools that wrote to him so North Petherwin got a mention! We are very proud of this.
At North Petherwin, we have Peer Mediators who work on the playground at playtimes and lunchtimes, helping children to solve any disagreements that they may have with other children. The Peer Mediators help to make sure that all of the children respect each others right to play (article 31), and right to stay safe (article 19). We are hoping to train some of the children at Werrington to become Peer Mediators, soon.
Steering Group - Minutes from meetings