Rights Respecting School

Our Rights Respecting School leader is Nelson Ganeshwaran.   The Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA) is an initiative run by UNICEF UK, which encourages schools to place the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) at the heart of its ethos and curriculum.

Rights Respecting Schools links in to many subject areas e.g. English, History, Geography, R.E, Science, PSHE and Maths. All our teaching staff have received training on how to incorporate rights into their planning.

Children understand that their rights are inherent, universal, unconditional, inalienable and indivisible. Here is a short summary of what these words mean:

• Inherent – Rights are inherent meaning they are yours because you are born a human.
• Indivisible – Rights are indivisible meaning no right is more important than another one. They are equal and linked.
• Inalienable – Rights are inalienable meaning you cannot give them away or sell them and no one can take them away from you.
• Universal – Rights are universal meaning they are for all children (under 18), everywhere, all the time.
• Unconditional – Rights are unconditional meaning they are not a reward and not dependent on a responsibility or performing an action to get them.

Impact on the pupils

UNICEF has shown that when children are taught about their rights under the CRC, they are more respectful of the rights of others.

• Improved self-esteem and feelings of being valued and listened to.
• Increased levels of respect for each other, leading to improved relationships with other pupils and with staff.
• A sense of security as rights-respecting language and behaviour is used consistently throughout the school.
• Improved attainment and attendance, and a reduction in exclusions.
• An understanding and respect of religions, cultures, beliefs and abilities different to their own.
• A wider and deeper understanding of the world in which they live.

This has been the case for children at Colegrave. Behaviour and attendance have improved and children are able to resolve peer on peer issues with the help of rights and the Restorative Approach.

What can adults do to help children realise their rights?

All adults (parents, teachers or the government) are known as Duty Bearers. It is our responsibility to make children aware of their rights and to act if their rights are not being met.

GOLDGRAVE

GOLDGRAVE is a selection of children who work as the Rights Respecting & Wellbeing Steering group. These children are from Key Stage 2 and they applied to be part of the group. This group of children promotes positive behaviour, mental health & wellbeing, and children's rights. They work closely with Mr Ganeshwaran and the rest of the senior leadership team.

Click here to visit UNICEF’s website to find more children’s rights.

Thank you to all the teachers, parents/carers, governors, local community and most of all, to our children for a successful journey so far. Gold: Rights Respecting, here we come.