1. THE RIGHTS-RESPECTING Alexandra Infants’ School
SCHOOLS AWARD
Alexandra Infants’ School

2. THE United Nations Convention of the Rights of the child. UNCRC
Rights Respecting School Award
17 April 2017
THE United Nations Convention of the Rights of the child. UNCRC
The vision:
We aim as a school to achieve RRS level 1 which means we will be recognised as a Rights Respecting School where all children, staff and helpers RESPECT one another and know about their Rights.
The school council meet to discuss our school and the 42 Articles in the UNCRC.
We would like to learn about our rights and what responsibilities go alongside them.
Remember we all have Rights BUT we also have Responsibilities TOO!
The UNICEF Education Team began to build on the idea of the child-friendly school…and developed it into a Rights Respecting School.
They worked on the well-supported hypothesis that:
For children to learn to care about the rights of other, they need to have good self -esteem themselves.
For children to have good self-esteem they need to know they matter.
Learning what their rights are as set out in the Articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child helps all children, especially the most vulnerable, to learn just that and gain in self-esteem.
The school council members in September 2014 meet for the first time.

3. Rights Respecting School Award
17 April 2017
What do you want our school to look like?
What do you want to hear in our school?
Has our school got a rights respecting feel to it?
This led the team to develop a scheme for helping schools to become Rights Respecting Schools.
An action plan was developed to guide schools to achieve a certain standard against a set of benchmarks. When the school feels it satisfies the criteria, the leadership invites UNICEF to externally validate their self-assessment. This leads to the school gaining its Rights Respecting School Award, an entitlement to use the logo for 3 years and a certificate. So let us look at what a RRS is like…..
Training and support is provided to the school leadership team..

4. WHAT IS A RIGHTS RESPECTING SCHOOL LIKE?
Rights Respecting School Award
17 April 2017
WHAT IS A RIGHTS RESPECTING SCHOOL LIKE?
The earlier we start the better…
Everyone knows about and values the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
That the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a charter of rights for all the world’s children up to the age of eighteen.
They can be grouped under 4 headings. NB
Art 6, 19, 29, 12. Art 42 is key. UNICEF is seeking to demonstrate that the RRSA is the way to really do what Art 42 says and that it it makes a difference to children’s achievement under the ECM criteria. For the UK government’s Every Child Matters agenda see:
SURVIVAL PROTECTION DEVELOPMENT PARTICIPATION
We show respect towards each other using our manners and being friendly and kind.

5. Rights Respecting School Award
17 April 2017
...it is where young people gain self-esteem by learning about the rights they have from birth and build from there
I learn about my rights
I feel included
My self-esteem rises
I can begin to think about others and their rights
I learn to listen to others
My language and thinking skills are extended
Starting with rights makes all children feel included.
The vulnerable and abused are given an alternative code for living to the brutal one they have been brought up with. They find this empowering.
They can then begin to consider responsibilities, including their own (but starting with adults, e.g. health, safety, education…
Show the links between each step. The consequence is respect.

6. Rights Respecting School Award
17 April 2017
Where children learn...
The difference between wants and needs That Needs = Rights That my rights are also your rights i.e. we now learn we have a responsibility.
Above is one of our school council displays in the hall which tells everyone who the school council members are from each class. Why not take a look the next time you are in the hall!
They learn exactly what there rights are…they also learn what their rights are NOT
Here are some examples of writing from previous children at Alexandra Infants’ explaining some of their Rights and Responsibilities.

7. Rights Respecting School Award
17 April 2017
…it is where young people learn that rights bring responsibilities for adults and children
If children have a right to be protected from conflict, cruelty, exploitation and neglect...
…then they also have a responsibility not to bully or harm each other.
See the leaflet for ref to responsibilities.
The emphasis on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child leads on to the importance of respecting the rights of others: strong sense of personal and collective responsibility. In becoming secure in your understanding of your own rights, you become ready to look at your and others’ responsibilities.
RIGHTS ARE NOT CONDITIONAL HOWEVER. A child always has the right to an education for example (an any other right), even if they have abused that right for others. Their antisocial actions may, however, mean the consequence is that their right to education takes place away from those whose rights they have chosen to abuse..

8. Rights Respecting School Award
17 April 2017
We are helping the children to be aware that they have rights such as the right to fresh water and to be safe in school.
It’s a school where... .
Everyone learns to use the language of rights, respect and responsibility
Adults and young people model rights-respecting behaviour and language
My teachers remind us to be kind and helpful to each other and to follow the school rules.
Go into the importance of language / concepts developed, especially through role play, in empowering children to negotiate with each other and actively participate in the life of the school, including challenging rights-abusing behaviour (i.e. traditional: bad behaviour).
e.g. “You do not have the right to stop me playing”. Child is empowered to challenge rights-abusing behaviour
“I as a teacher / parent have the responsibility to do what is in your / other children’s best interest…can we discuss what that is…?”

9. Rights Respecting School Award
17 April 2017

10. Rights Respecting School Award
17 April 2017
What's next for our school?
Fund raising for our schools resources-outdoor environment, the sick and the poor
Everyone to learn about Wants and Needs
Everyone to begin to know what their rights are
Regular School Council Meetings with Mrs Murphy
Suggestion boxes in each classroom
Playground Charters
Dinner Hall Charter

11. Rights Respecting School Award
17 April 2017
To gain the UNICEF Award a school follows UNICEF’s action plan using the benchmarks and validation statements for guidance as to what to prioritise.
Careful training and early support is provided. Initially this was exclusively from UNICEF but as more schools come on board and the scheme expands, practising teachers and LA advisors are being trained to work alongside us, including taking over the external assessment.
Following induction training for school leadership and all staff, the action plan is studied and an audit of where the school is becomes the starting point for further development. This includes a pupil focus group to monitor impact of scheme
Pupil focus groups are a powerful measure of the progress a school is making. Over time the school is encouraged to run its own focus groups as this is part of the participatory approach we are encouraging.
Same for focus groups with parents and teaching assistants.
We encourage schools to work in clusters. Good for mutual support, initial training and maintaining momentum.
Self-evaluation is consistent with good practice. It is the way schools prepare for their government inspections.
Education Officers and UNICEF Partners complete external assessment to validate.

12. Rights Respecting School Award
17 April 2017
This Autumn term we are focusing on Article 31 from the UNCRC.
Here is Maryam, Hasnain, James-Junior and Aleeza to tell you what that Article is…
In brief this is what the RRSA is all about. Cf COMMON APPROACH, DIGNITY AT WORK
The Award promotes the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as the basis for creating a rights-respecting ethos in a school community which enhances teaching, learning, attitudes and behaviour.
A Rights Respecting School not only teaches about children’s and human rights but also models rights and respect in all relationships in the community.