Rights Respecting School

At Victoria Education Centre, we have registered with UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Schools Award. The Rights Respecting School Award recognises schools that put the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the centre of their school ethos and planning.

“The RRSA recognises achievement in putting the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of a school’s planning, policies, practice and ethos. By taking these steps a school community helps improve well-being and develop every child’s talents and abilities to their potential. A rights- respecting school not only teaches about child rights but also models rights and respect in all its relationships: between teachers/adults and pupils, between adults, and between pupils.” UNICEF, 2013

We have registered our commitment to the scheme and have achieved the Silver Award. We will be sending letters home to parents and carers to explain the award. Staff and governors will also be having awareness training on RRSA. We will be looking at embedding in our schemes of work, displays and through the work of our school council, eco council and our “Thought for the Week”.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) consists of 54 articles. A “child” is defined as every human being below the age of 18. The key provisions are:

• The right to a childhood
• The right to be educated
• The right to be healthy
• The right to be treated fairly
• The right to be heard

The UNCRC also states how staff and pupils behave to each other and how we behave as a school community in general.

For more information on Rights Respecting Schools either contact Lisa Boyes or check out the UNICEF Rights respecting School website.