Children are healthier and happier, Children feel safe, Children have better relationships, Children become active and involved in school life and the wider world...
Being a Rights Respecting School
In 2015, Unity became a Rights Respecting school and in 2017, we gained our Level 1 Silver award.
In November 2019 we achieved the GOLD level of the award!
What is a Unicef Rights Respecting School?
In 1989, the governments across the world adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), recognising that all children have the right to be treated with dignity, fairness, to be protected, to develop to their full potential and to participate.
The Convention states what countries must do to ensure that all children (those under the age of 18) can enjoy their rights, regardless of who they are and where they come from!
The UNCRC consists of 54 articles that set out children’s rights and how governments should work together to make them available to all children.
There are four key areas of impact for children at a Rights Respecting school; wellbeing, participation, relationships and self-esteem. The difference that a Rights Respecting School makes goes beyond the school gates, making a positive impact on the whole community.
Unity Community Primary as a Rights Respecting School
Unity is part of the Big Life Group and shares the 6 core Big Life values; Valuing Difference, Thoughtful, Honesty ,Courageous, Creative and Inspiring. Becoming a Rights Respecting school means that everyday our children can demonstrate these core values when they learn about their rights.
Both staff and children are now working hard to gain our Gold award because we believe that the more we learn about the rights, the more we will uplift our school values, vision and ability to enable our children to become happy, confident adults that make positive contributions to their communities. Our Gold journey means that each child can not only value and understand their differences but also value and understand the differences in others.
To help us on our Gold journey, we use the ABCDE of rights. We also talk about the responsibilities that all adults have as the ‘rights bearers’ to make children’s rights available to them. We have been learning about what dignity means and what it looks like all around our school; children and staff believe that if we show respect (dignity) to ourselves and others, we can help to create a happy and healthy atmosphere and are then at a better place to learn.
Every class has a Rights Respecting Charter to remind children about their rights and how they link with the Big Life Values. We choose articles that best suit our class community. We agree what makes a happy and safe classroom and how adults can best support this
The Rights that Unity children and staff hold very close are:
- Article 3 – Adults must do what is best for me
- Article 2 – All children have these rights
- Article 6 – I should be supported to live and grow
- Article 7 – Your right to a name and nationality
- Article 12 – Your right to say what you think should happen and be listened to
- Article 14 – Your right to follow your own religion
- Article 13 – Your right to information
- Article 19 – You should not be harmed and should be looked after and kept safe
- Article 24 – Your right to good food and water and healthcare
- Article 27 – Your right to a good standard of living
- Article 28 – Your right to go to school and learn
- Article 29 – Your right to be the best you can be
- Article 30 – Your right to use your own language