“The Rights Respecting Schools Award puts children’s rights at the heart of schools in the UK.” (https://www.unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools/the-rrsa/about-the-rrsa/)
What Do Schools Have to Do to Become a Rights Respecting School?
To achieve the Rights Respecting Schools Award, schools must demonstrate a strong commitment to embedding the rights of the child into every aspect of school life. This involves educating the entire school community about the UNCRC, integrating children’s rights into daily practices, and developing action plans that guide this process.
UNICEF UK assesses the school’s progress at each level of the award, providing feedback that we use, alongside our own evaluations, to further our efforts. At Barr Primary, Mrs. McBirnie leads this important work, supported by the active involvement of all pupils and staff in the decision-making and actions necessary to uphold and promote children’s rights.
The RRSA is made up of 3 levels of achievement – Bronze, Silver and Gold. Mrs McBirnie is currently spearheading our journey to Silver with the help of the pupils, staff and school community.
Why Do We Want to Be a Rights Respecting School?
- Better Relationships: The RRSA fosters relationships built on mutual respect, where everyone’s opinions are valued equally.
- Happier Children: By promoting the values identified in the UNCRC, children develop stronger self-esteem and wellbeing.
- Active Participants in School: Embedding the UNCRC ensures that children are actively involved in decision-making processes that affect their learning and wellbeing.
- Promotes Global Citizenship: Children learn about global issues and are empowered to raise awareness and drive positive change within their communities and beyond.
What Are We Doing to Embed the UNCRC in Our School?
To ensure that the rights outlined in the UNCRC are embedded in our school, Mrs. McBirnie and the RRS committee have developed a detailed Action Plan. Each class has its own class charter, displaying the rights the pupils felt were most relevant to them in school. These rights are also linked to our school values, showing their integral role in our community.
We regularly hold assemblies and incorporate lessons on children’s rights into our classwork. Teachers integrate the articles of the UNCRC into their Health and Wellbeing planners, ensuring that rights are a core part of our educational approach.
Here are some of the activities this year we have taken part in:
Classroom Check-in – August 2025
Our class has been developing a positive and supportive check-in system to help everyone feel heard and understood each day. Each morning, the children choose a number to represent how they are feeling and are given the opportunity to share why they feel that way. This simple but meaningful routine allows pupils to express their emotions in a safe and respectful environment.
The children have shown great honesty and trust when sharing their feelings, and their classmates respond with kindness and empathy. They know that if they are finding things difficult, there is always support available from staff and friends, and they can access extra help when needed. This has helped to build a strong sense of community within our classroom.
Through this daily practice, pupils are developing key meta-skills. They are strengthening their self-management by recognising and communicating their emotions, and building social intelligence by listening to others and showing empathy and understanding.
This approach supports UNCRC Article 12, which highlights children’s right to express their views and be listened to, and Article 19, ensuring children feel safe and supported in their environment.
We are proud of how our pupils look out for one another and contribute to making our classroom a caring and inclusive space.
Looking After Our Green Space – September 2025
Our pupils have been busy enjoying every stage of our school garden project, from planting right through to the final delicious results! Over the past few terms, the children have worked together to care for our garden by watering, weeding and nurturing the plants as they grew. They showed great responsibility and teamwork, making sure everything was looked after and ready for harvesting, even over the school holiday.
With great excitement, the children then harvested the fruits and vegetables they had grown themselves. They took pride in seeing the results of their hard work and were eager to put their produce to good use. Back in the kitchen, pupils worked collaboratively to prepare a range of tasty dishes, including a delicious crumble made with fresh ingredients from our garden.
Throughout this experience, the children developed important meta skills. They demonstrated self-management by taking responsibility for caring for the garden and following instructions during food preparation. They also showed excellent social intelligence, working together, sharing tasks and supporting one another as a team.
This learning links to the UNCRC Article 24, supporting children’s right to learn about health, nutrition and making positive food choices. It also reflects Article 29, as the children developed confidence, practical skills and an appreciation for the environment through hands-on learning.
We are so proud of the children’s enthusiasm and effort—from garden to plate, they truly experienced the full journey of food!
Harvest Hampers – September 2025
Our pupils showed great kindness and community spirit as they took part in creating Harvest hampers for the “Golden VIPs” in our village. Families generously donated a range of food items, and the children worked together to organise and sort the contributions.
In class, pupils carefully selected items and helped to create thoughtful hampers, considering what would be most useful and enjoyable for others. They took great pride in preparing these gifts, knowing they would bring a smile to members of our local community. The experience helped the children understand the importance of helping others and giving back.
This activity supported the development of key meta-skills. Pupils demonstrated strong social intelligence by showing empathy, kindness and respect for others, and self-management by organising, sorting and preparing the hampers responsibly.
This learning links closely to UNCRC Article 27, which highlights the right to an adequate standard of living, and Article 29, as pupils developed values such as respect, responsibility and care for others.
We are incredibly proud of the compassion and teamwork shown by our pupils—this was a wonderful example of our school community working together to make a positive difference.
Stickman Challenge 1 – October 2025
Our pupils took part in their first Stickman Challenge, working in teams to complete a range of exciting outdoor survival tasks. Each group began by creating their own stick person, giving them a name and designing clothing to suit different conditions.
The challenge then developed as pupils worked together to build a shelter, create a water collection and filtration system, and safely light a fire to “cook” their stickman’s dinner. They also showed great creativity and care by providing medical help when their stickman “broke a leg,” and designed a safe way to transport them to the bus.
Throughout the challenge, the children demonstrated fantastic problem-solving, creativity and teamwork, approaching each task with enthusiasm and determination.
This experience supported the development of key meta-skills. Pupils showed strong self-management by planning, adapting and completing each task, and excellent social intelligence by collaborating, sharing ideas and supporting one another.
This learning linked closely to a range of UNCRC articles. Pupils explored Article 7 (right to an identity) by naming and creating their own character, Article 27 (right to an adequate standard of living) through providing shelter, Article 24 (right to health) by ensuring access to clean water and medical care, and Article 27 again through considering the importance of nutritious food. It also linked to Article 31, recognising the value of play and imagination in learning.
We were incredibly proud of the teamwork, creativity and resilience shown by all groups—it was a brilliant start to our Stickman challenges!
Day of Dance – November 2025
Our pupils had a fantastic time taking part in this year’s Day of Dance, celebrating the rich tradition of Scottish music and dance. In the lead-up to the event, the children worked hard to learn a variety of traditional Scottish country dances, showing great enthusiasm and perseverance as they practised each step.
On the day, they joined many other schools from across the local area, coming together to share in the experience. It was wonderful to see the children performing with confidence, enjoying the live music and embracing the lively atmosphere. The event was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate Scottish culture and feel part of a wider community.
Throughout this experience, pupils developed important meta-skills. They demonstrated self-management by practising and refining their dances, and showed excellent social intelligence by working together, supporting partners and cooperating as part of a larger group.
This learning links to UNCRC Article 31, which recognises children’s right to take part in cultural and artistic activities, as well as Article 15, supporting their right to join with others and celebrate shared experiences.
We are so proud of the children’s effort, teamwork and enthusiasm—it was a joyful celebration of Scottish tradition and community spirit!
Children in Need – November 2025
Our pupils had a wonderful time marking Children in Need with a fun and inclusive day full of colour, creativity and kindness. Everyone came dressed in a way that made them feel happy—whether that was wearing spots, their favourite colour, or choosing something a little more unusual!
The children enjoyed celebrating together and showed great confidence in expressing themselves through their choices. Throughout the day, they took part in a variety of engaging activities, all while learning about the importance of helping others and supporting good causes.
This experience helped to develop key meta-skills. Pupils showed self-management by making independent choices about how to participate and express themselves, and social intelligence by celebrating each other’s ideas and showing respect for everyone’s individuality.
This links to UNCRC Article 15, which highlights children’s right to come together and participate in shared experiences, and Article 31, recognising their right to relax, play and take part in cultural and creative activities.
We are so proud of the enthusiasm and kindness shown by our pupils as they came together for such a meaningful and enjoyable day.
Christmas Market – November 2025
Our pupils have been busy developing their creativity, teamwork and enterprise skills through preparing for our Christmas Market. Working in their house groups, the children took on the challenge of designing and running their very own stall.
Each group worked together to create a business idea, before confidently presenting their plans to our “Dragons” to pitch for additional funding. They showed great creativity and confidence as they shared their ideas and responded to questions.
With an initial investment provided by the school, pupils carefully managed their budget, made their products and decided on pricing. They also took responsibility for advertising and organising the event. On the day of the market, they proudly sold their items to the community and worked hard to repay their initial costs.
Through this experience, pupils developed key meta-skills. They demonstrated strong self-management by organising tasks, managing money and meeting deadlines, and excellent social intelligence by collaborating, communicating and supporting one another.
This learning links closely to UNCRC Article 12, as pupils were given the opportunity to share their ideas and have their voices valued, and Article 13, as they expressed their creativity through presentations, products and advertising.
Frozen Jr – December 2025
Our pupils worked incredibly hard to bring the magic of Frozen Jr. to life, resulting in a fantastic performance for our school community. They showed great enthusiasm, creativity and commitment as they learned lines, songs and choreography, with every child taking on multiple roles both on stage and behind the scenes. It was an incredible achievement for such a small school, and they performed with confidence, energy and pride, earning high praise from the village community.
Through this experience, pupils developed strong self-management by learning and practising their roles, and excellent social intelligence by working together, supporting one another and performing as a team. This learning linked closely to UNCRC Article 31, recognising children’s right to take part in cultural and artistic activities, and Article 29, as they developed confidence, creativity and their individual talents.
Scottish Afternoon – January 2026
Our pupils enjoyed a fantastic Scottish afternoon, celebrating Scotland’s rich culture and traditions. They showed confidence and pride as they performed a range of Scots poems for our Burns judges, with families invited along to share in the experience. The children also had the opportunity to sample traditional Scottish food and drink, and took part in lively Scottish dancing, creating a joyful and memorable celebration.
Through this experience, pupils developed strong self-management by practising and performing their poetry, and excellent social intelligence by supporting one another and performing in front of an audience. This learning linked closely to UNCRC Article 31, recognising children’s right to participate in cultural activities, and Article 12, as they confidently shared their voice through performance.
We were incredibly proud of the confidence, enthusiasm and Scottish spirit shown by all!
Survival Skills – Water Filtration – February 2026
Our pupils engaged enthusiastically in their outdoor survivor skills project, where they explored how to safely filter water. Working collaboratively, they designed and built their own water filtration systems, and were delighted to see how successful their designs were.
The experience was made even more special as parents and families joined us, supporting the children and sharing in their learning. It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate their creativity and problem-solving skills together.
Through this learning, pupils developed strong self-management by planning, building and testing their designs, and excellent social intelligence by collaborating and sharing ideas. This linked closely to UNCRC Article 24, as pupils learned about the importance of clean water for health, and Article 29, as they developed practical skills, independence and confidence.
Safer Internet Day – February 2026
Our pupils marked Safer Internet Day by exploring how to use online resources safely, responsibly and confidently. Throughout the day, they took part in discussions and activities focused on staying safe online, building cyber resilience, and understanding the safe and legal use of AI.
The children demonstrated great maturity as they considered how to protect their personal information, respond to online challenges and make positive choices when using digital technology. They also explored how AI can be a helpful tool when used responsibly, recognising the importance of accuracy, fairness and staying safe when interacting online.
Through this experience, pupils developed strong self-management by making responsible choices online, and excellent social intelligence by considering the impact of their actions on others in digital spaces. This learning linked closely to UNCRC Article 17, supporting children’s right to access reliable information, and Article 13, as they explored how to express themselves safely and responsibly online.
We were very proud of the thoughtful and responsible attitudes shown by our pupils as they developed important skills for navigating the digital world.
Storybook Walk – March 2026
Our house teams have been busy as part of our Reading Schools journey, using a chosen picture book to design and create their own storybook walks. Each house selected a text and worked together to plan a series of engaging stations, creating thoughtful questions or fun activities to bring their story to life.
The children showed great creativity and teamwork, with each group interpreting their book in their own unique way to create imaginative and interactive experiences. They then invited parents and families along to take part, sharing their learning and enjoying the stories together in a welcoming and engaging environment.
Through this experience, pupils developed strong self-management by planning, organising and leading their activities, and excellent social intelligence by collaborating, sharing ideas and engaging with others. This learning linked closely to UNCRC Article 13, as pupils expressed their ideas creatively, and Article 29, as they developed confidence, communication and a love of reading.
We were incredibly proud of the creativity and effort shown by each house—the storybook walks were a fantastic success and a wonderful way to celebrate reading together.
Our Commitment to Mental Wellbeing
At Barr Primary School, we are deeply committed to promoting mental wellbeing as part of our dedication to the UNCRC and the Rights Respecting Schools initiative. Recognising the importance of mental health, we celebrated World Mental Health Day led by Mrs. McBirnie. This day marked the event with an assembly, taking part in class discussions and creating posters.
The Importance of Mental Health Awareness
World Mental Health Day at Barr Primary was not just about participating in activities—it was about fostering a school environment where mental health is openly discussed, and pupils are equipped with the tools they need to support their own wellbeing and that of others. Every 3 weeks pupils participate in a Health and Wellbeing focused assembly to ensure they full understand what is important to help them lead safe and healthy lives.
Continuing Our Journey
We are dedicated to promoting the UNCRC within our school and will continue to do so through ongoing training for staff and pupils and the implementation of our Action Plan in reaching Silver and then Gold.
Join Us in Our Rights Respecting Journey
We invite all members of our school community to support our journey towards becoming a Rights Respecting School. Please talk to your children about what they are learning about the UNCRC and explore how you can be part of this important effort.
For more information about the Rights Respecting Schools Award, visit UNICEF UK’s website by clicking the image below:
