Rights Respecting School
At Springside School, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is embedded within our school ethos, curriculum and daily practice, and is actively demonstrated by all staff.
On 20 November 1989, countries across the world made a shared commitment to protect and promote the rights of all children. The UNCRC is an internationally recognised agreement that sets out these rights and the responsibilities of adults to uphold them.
The core principles of the UNCRC are:
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Non-discrimination
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The best interests of the child
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The right to life, survival and development
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Respect for the views of the child
Using the UNCRC as a foundation provides a clear values-based framework that guides all adults within our school community and ensures that the child is at the centre of everything we do. Learners at Springside develop an understanding of themselves and others, alongside an increasing awareness of their community and the wider world.
Learners are taught about their rights as rights-holders through practice that actively reflects and promotes these rights. They are also supported to understand how they can play a role in respecting and supporting the rights of others.
We work collaboratively with all members of our school community to develop a shared understanding of the UNCRC and to identify meaningful ways in which we can actively support children’s rights. All teaching, support and lunchtime staff have received UNCRC training and understand their role as duty bearers, both to our learners and to children globally.
Across the school, each class has developed its own class charter, carefully designed by the class team to be purposeful, meaningful and reflective of the learners’ current needs and learning journey. In addition, we have a whole-school charter, which sets out our shared expectations and commitment to being a rights-respecting community.
Our weekly school newsletter highlights ongoing work and developments linked to our Rights Respecting School journey.
We are proud to currently hold the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Gold Award, recognising our sustained commitment to embedding children’s rights across all aspects of school life.
For further information about what it means to be a Rights Respecting School, and how you can support your child and the school in promoting children’s rights, please contact our Rights Respecting School Lead, Rebecca Crossley. Further information about the UNCRC can also be found via UNICEF UK.
https://www.unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools/
