Rights Respecting
What is a Rights Respecting School?
The UNICEF Right Respecting Schools Award 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. For a school to receive accreditation, it must evidence that it has reached the three RRSA Strands.
Strand A: Teaching and learning about rights
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is made known to children, young people and adults, who use this shared understanding to work for improved child wellbeing, school improvement, global justice and sustainable living.
Strand B: Teaching and learning through rights – ethos and relationships
Actions and decisions affecting children are rooted in, reviewed and resolved through rights. Children, young people and adults collaborate to develop and maintain a school community based on equality, dignity, respect, non-discrimination and participation; this includes learning and teaching in a way that respects the rights of both educators and learners and promotes wellbeing.
Strand C: Teaching and learning for rights – participation, empowerment and action
Children are empowered to enjoy and exercise their rights and to promote the rights of others locally and globally. Duty bearers are accountable for ensuring that children experience their rights.
Garratt Park: A Rights Respecting School
Our school’s vision and values align with our ethos of being Ready, Respectful and Safe. At the heart of this is the belief that everyone should be treated with respect, dignity and fairness—valued for who they are and supported to achieve their best. This is one of the key reasons why our work with UNICEF and the Rights Respecting Schools programme is so important to us.
We are committed to placing children’s rights at the centre of our culture and everyday practice, helping to improve wellbeing and enabling every young person to develop their talents and abilities to their full potential. As part of this commitment, we are working towards recognition as a UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School.
UNICEF UK partners with schools to help create safe, inclusive and inspiring learning environments where children are respected, their voices are heard and they are able to thrive. The Rights Respecting Schools Award is built on the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), focusing on equality, dignity, respect, non-discrimination and participation.
Children’s rights are embedded throughout our school. We strive to ensure that every learner feels safe, valued and supported, and that our school remains a place where rights are lived, understood and respected by all.
Becoming a Rights Respecting school supports our children in achieving their potential and becoming responsible global citizens. Our integrated curriculum helps children learn respect for self, others, critical thinking skills and informed decision-making. We are embedding children’s rights within our teaching, ethos and school policies. We believe that the principles and values of being a Rights Respecting school has a positive impact on the children’s learning environment.
When children learn about their rights it is important that deeper connections are also made in their understanding about the nature of rights. They are taught the ABCDE of their rights.
Rights through the Curriculum
Rights are embedded throughout our practice and are reinforced in a range of learning experiences. Some of the places where rights are explicitly explored include:
- Our school vision and values, which are rooted in respect, dignity and inclusion.
- Reading and communication sessions, where key texts are used to reflect on children’s rights and discuss how characters experience or are denied these rights.
- Writing and communication activities, where students express their understanding of rights in ways that match their individual needs and abilities.
- Humanities lessons, when exploring how young people have been treated in different periods and how their rights have developed over time.
- Geography, PSHE and world studies, when considering how children’s rights are upheld- or not upheld - in different countries and communities.
- PSHE, PE, life skills and computing, where students learn about and practise rights related to their health, safety, wellbeing, online behaviour and personal privacy.
How can families support young people in learning about their rights?
- Talk with your child about what they have been learning in school about children’s rights.
- Discuss the ideas together, using examples from everyday life, your own experiences, or things you have seen in the news where rights are respected or not respected.
- Explore ways your family can promote respect for rights, or support others whose rights may not be fully upheld.
- Use rights-based language at home, such as talking about respect, safety, dignity and fairness.
- Ask for your child’s views on children’s rights, and encourage them to share their thoughts and opinions.
Useful resources
You can find out more about the Award from the links below:
About the Rights Respecting Schools Award
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Some Frequently asked questions
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You might ask… |
As school leaders we think… |
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What is a UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School?
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A UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School is a school that ensures children’s rights are taught, understood and lived in school. Rights Respecting schools put in place a set of standards based on equality, dignity, respect, non-discrimination and participation based on the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child. These values are ever-present in a Rights Respecting school, from the classroom to the dining hall. As a result, the Rights Respecting Schools Award transforms whole schools into places where students feel safe, nurtured and in control of their futures. |
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Why is this happening? |
A UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School models rights and respect in all its relationships, whether between adults and students, between students or between adults. It is proven to benefit everyone in the school community to grow and learn together. Read more about the Award at www.unicef.org.uk/rrsa |
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How will becoming a Rights Respecting School benefit my child(ren)? |
The RRSA Impact Report demonstrates that children and young people who attend a school that has progressed through the Award are engaged in their education, feel a shared sense of community in school, believe they can change the world for the better, develop self-esteem and value themselves and have a school environment where they feel safe and cared for. |
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How can I get involved?
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Please do read about the Convention and UNICEF’s work to see what it’s all about. Read more: unicef.uk/intro_to_crc |
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What is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child? |
In 1989, governments worldwide promised all children the same rights by adopting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention recognised that all children have the right to be treated with dignity and fairness, to be protected, to develop to their full potential and to participate. The rights in the Convention describe what a child needs to survive, grow, and live up to their potential in the world. They apply equally to every child, no matter who they are or where they come from. The Convention changed the way children are viewed and treated – in other words, as human beings with a distinct set of rights instead of as passive objects of care and charity. It is the most widely ratified human rights treaty – only the United States has not ratified it. The UK signed up to it in 1991. |
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What is UNICEF? |
UNICEF is the world's leading organisation for children and young people, promoting the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything they do. Together with their partners, UNICEF works in 190 countries to translate that commitment into practical action. UNICEF UK is a registered charity. It raises funds through donations from individuals, organisations and companies and campaigns to keep children safe. UNICEF UK also works with schools, hospitals and local authorities in the UK to put children at the heart of what they do. To find out more about Unicef, go to: www.unicef.org.uk |
