UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

What is the Rights Respecting School Award?

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.

To achieve this award, staff, parents and pupils need to have an understanding of the Articles which make up the Convention and know how they can use these articles in their daily lives.

The award is based on principles of equality, dignity, respect, non-discrimination and participation.

Heath Mount Primary School is a Bronze Rights Committed School

We are proud to announce that Heath Mount Primary School has successfully achieved the Unicef UK Bronze - Right Committed Award for our rights-respecting work.  In order to achieve this award, the school had to demonstrate the following;

• Teaching the children the Articles and the meaning of them;
• Working with the children to promote the Articles in a way that is meaningful to them;
• Displaying the Articles around school and in classrooms to reinforce the meaning;
• Talking about the Articles in lessons such as PSHE, Topic, English and whenever they can link to the subject being taught;
• Including the aims of the Convention in our policies;
• Sharing the values of the Convention through our assemblies.

What is the UNCRC?

In 1989 UNICEF established a set of 54 Articles known as the Convention for the Rights of the Child. The convention applies to every child under the age of 18, without discrimination, whatever their ethnicity, gender, religion, language, abilities, whatever they think or say, whatever their family background. Almost every country in the world has signed this convention to uphold the Articles within their country and do all it can to protect children’s rights. The convention underpins everything UNICEF does around the world.

The convention recognises that all children and young people have the right to be treated with dignity and fairness, to be protected, to develop to their full potential and to participate. Every adult is a duty bearer, and it is their responsibility to ensure children’s rights are protected.

What is the Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA)?

The RRSA focuses on children’s rights in schools and takes a whole-school approach to child rights and human rights education. A UNICEF Rights Respecting School is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted.

By learning about their rights, our pupils also learn about the importance of respecting the rights of others i.e., their responsibilities. Pupils at Highters Heath are encouraged to reflect on how their behaviour and actions affect those around them which allows us to build and maintain a positive and safe learning environment for all.

RRSA links with our School Values and British Values as well as the work we do promoting Global Citizenship and Equal Opportunities. The RRSA also supports and promotes Healthy eating.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) - UNICEF UK