Rights Respecting Schools Award

 *****We have just been awarded the RRSA Silver - Rights Aware award!*****

What is the UNCRC?

 In 1989 UNICEF established a set of 54 Articles known as the Convention for the Rights of the Child. The convention applies to every child under the age of 18, without discrimination, whatever their ethnicity, gender, religion, language, abilities, whatever they think or say, whatever their family background. Almost every country in the world has signed this convention to uphold the Articles within their country and do all it can to protect children’s rights. The convention underpins everything UNICEF does around the world.

 The convention recognises that all children and young people have the right to be treated with dignity and fairness, to be protected, to develop to their full potential and to participate. Every adult is a duty bearer and it is their responsibility to ensure children’s rights are protected.

What is the Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA)?

 The RRSA focuses on children’s rights in schools and takes a whole-school approach to child rights and human rights education. A UNICEF Rights Respecting School is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted.

 By learning about their rights, our pupils also learn about the importance of respecting the rights of others i.e. their responsibilities. Pupils at Woodham Burn are encouraged to reflect on how their behaviour and actions affect those around them which allows us to build and maintain a positive and safe learning environment for all.

 RRSA links with our School Values and British Values as well as the work we do promoting Global Citizenship and Equal Opportunities. The RRSA also supports our Healthy School accreditation.

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

Where are we on our journey?

•  At the start of the year each class create their own Class Charter. Children chose the most important rights they believe should be respected within their classroom and have explained how they will respect these rights
• Our curriculum topics are linked to specific Articles within the UNCRC. This gives opportunity to discuss these rights both in relation to themselves and other children around the world
• Our Woodham Burn ethos recognises the right to support children in their development as lifelong learners.
• Our Behaviour policy is built around the right to be heard and kept safe. We follow the restorative justice approach to behaviour management
• Assemblies remind children of their rights and how we can respect them in our everyday lives at school. Assemblies also celebrate children who have demonstrated excellent work or behaviour throughout the week
• School policies reflect the Articles of the UNCRC demonstrating the whole school commitment to embedding them within the school ethos
• A Steering Group of children, staff, parents and governors meet regularly to discuss our rights and suggest ways to improve our school further.  As a result, pupil voice is very strong throughout the school and this has a positive impact on learning, inclusion and wellbeing.  The Steering Group are also responsible for fundraising and raising awareness of global and environmental issues.
• The children have regular opportunity to keep up to date with issues and news from around the world when they tune into CBBC Newsround and take part in a weekly Picture News presentation assembly.
• Children take an active part in their learning by working alongside their peers or adults to celebrate and set targets for improvement
• Children have different responsibilities around the school. Each class has monitors for a variety of jobs around the classroom. Children in Upper Key Stage 2 are playground leaders. Each year, one member of the class is elected as a School Council ambassador and one member of the class is elected a UNICEF ambassador.
• We actively support a number of charities throughout the year. Recent charities and fundraising have supported UNICEF Day for Change, World Book Day, Comic Relief, The Foodbank collection, The Children’s Society
• We have a growing eco club who work to look after our school environment and wider environment.