Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA)

As a school community we are working together to promote the United Nations Rights of the Child (UNCRC). We are committed to ensuring that pupils understand their rights.

What is the Rights Respecting School Award?

The Rights Respecting Schools Award recognises achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 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 all its relationships: between teachers/adults and pupils, between adults and between pupils. Children’s rights are central to all aspects of UNICEF’s work, including education, and we use the UNCRC as a framework for our activities.

By exploring the ‘Rights Respecting School Award’(RRSA) we aim to create a safe, inspiring place to learn where children are respected, their talents are nurtured and they are able to thrive. Our RRSA journey embeds these values and gives children the best opportunity to be the best that they can be

Our Rights Respecting Schools Award work is led by a Pupil Steering Group, with representatives from classes across the school. The RRSA steering group meet at least once per month. They have been responsible for great changes in St. Patrick’s, they have organised a competition for a new Rights Respecting Mascot, working collaboratively with Greenhill to litter pick in our local park and will begin work on creating new playground and school charters. They are currently working with Miss Herd to create a newly termly newsletter to showcase our rights respecting work.

The A, B, C, D, E of Rights

Rights are for all children and young people throughout the world (universal), are there at birth(inherent), cannot be taken away (inalienable), do not come with conditions attached to them (unconditional) and are all equally important (indivisible).

‘The ABCDE of Children’s rights’ is one way that can help children learn about the nature of rights. Talk to your child about what they have been learning about rights in school.