The Acorns Primary & Nursery
School
Rights Respecting Schools Award
We are proud to announce that we have been awarded our 'Silver - Rights Aware' Rights Respecting Award.
What is the Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA)?
'Every child rights whatever their ethnicity, gender, religion, language, abilities or any other status.'
The RRSA is based around the United Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) written by UNICEF in 1989. This is a document agreed by almost all of the countries around the world that helps to protect children. It is about the rights that all children should have and that should be respected.
Click here to see a full list of these rights.
As a school community we have been working together to promote the UNCRC in all that we do and have place this at the centre of our everyday practise in school. Working towards the award has helped us to focus and celebrate teaching and learning that encourages respect for ourselves and others.
There are four key areas of impact for children in Rights Respecting Schools; wellbeing, participation, relationships and self-esteem. The children are reported to be healthier and happier, to feel safe in school, have better relationships with their peers and teachers based on mutal respect and become actively involved in school life and the wider school community.
Our Rights Respecting Journey
We first began our journey in July 2018 and we were awarded the 'Bronze - Rights Committed' award in December 2018. We then worked hard to embed the UNCRC into everything that we do at The Acorns and put children's rights at the heart of our curriculum. We were delighted to be awarded our 'Silver - Rights Aware' award in November 2019.
As a school community, our next step is to work towards achieving the 'Gold - Rights Respecting' award.
This means that we will show:
- how the school has explicitly adopted a child rights approach based on the UNCRC and has embedded it in school policy, practice and culture
- how children and adults in school have a thorough understanding of child rights and that rights respecting attitudes and language are embedded across the school
- how the Rights Respecting Schools Award has had a postive impact on children's learning and wellbeing
- how students see themselves as rights respecting global citizens and are advocates for social justice, fairness and children's rights.
Class Charters
During our transition days, each class look at the UNCRC and chose three rights to focus on for that academic year. Links to these rights are made continually throughout the year and the charter is updated when new links are made. It is also clear on each classes charter the roles of the rights holder and the duty bearers to ensure these rights are accessed and enjoyed in the classroom.
The charters in every classroom all include one running theme each year. Past examples of these themes have been; 'Global Glasses' which were made and designed by the children and demonstrate their views on their roles in the wider world and 'Helping Hands' which show ways which the children can be helpful in school, at home and in the wider community.
Our school rules - 'Ready, Respectful, Safe' echo the same key messages that we hope to instill in all of our children at The Acorns and are placed at the centre of all of our class charters.
Here are some examples of class charters that have been created at our school.
Rights Respecting Ambassadors
Every year each class votes for two ambassadors to represent their class. The ambassadors meet reguarly to monitor the progress made towards becoming a Rights Respecting School and suggest ways to improve our school further. They help children to have a voice in matters which affect them so they are listened to and treated fairly. They also attend some staff meetings, help to deliver assemblies and report to the Governors.
Look out for our Rights Respecting posters around school and our Rights Respecting updates on our school's X (Twitter) account - @TheAcornsSchool.