UNICEF Rights Respecting Award

Greenvale school has been awarded the Gold Rights Respecting School Award by UNICEF UK.

 It is granted by UNICEF UK to schools that have embedded children’s rights through every aspect of school life; practice and ethos, as outlined in the RRSA Strands and Outcomes (see Gold Forms and Guides). We know that this journey enables leaders and teachers to strengthen pupil sense of belonging and voice, and to create an environment for great learning.    

 Headteacher of Greenvale school, Katie Denton, said: “It is important for our students to know their rights, they will go in to the community and we want them to be safe. The RRSA links directly to Greenvale’s ethos and values, having the rights framework helps us to know where to go further. It helps us to hold ourselves to account”.

 Achieving Gold: Rights Respecting means there is evidence that: 

• Your school has explicitly adopted a child rights approach based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and has embedded it in school practice, ethos and culture. 
• Children, young people and adults have an awareness and understanding of child rights, with rights respecting attitudes and language embedded across the school. 
• RRSA has had a positive impact on children and young people’s learning and wellbeing. 
• Inclusion and diversity are actively promoted and celebrated. 
• Children see themselves as rights respecting global citizens and are advocates for social justice, fairness and children’s rights at home and abroad. 
• Leaders use the CRC as a driver for school improvement. 

The Award recognises achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of a school’s planning, policies and practice. A Rights Respecting School is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted.

 The UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools initiative is aimed at schools across the UK, including those in an early years setting. Currently, it works with nearly 5,000 primary schools, secondary schools, schools for children and young people with special educational needs and pupil referral units across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Schools have reported a positive impact on pupil behaviour, relationships and well-being by enhancing pupils’ self-esteem, leading to less truancy and bullying, better learning and improved academic standards.

 Rights Steering group

 The students at Greenvale school have decided to name their steering group “WM we are 1” which stands for Waters Road and Mayow Road we are one. The steering group consists of 15 students across each key stage. Their role is to ensure that the whole school is aware of the Rights Respecting Schools Award, to provide a link between the children, all staff members, the governors and the wider community and to plan and deliver fun events around the school.