Rights Respecting Schools Award

Creating safe and inspiring places to learn

At The Oval School, we have achieved a Gold standard in the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award. This is the highest stage of the Rights Respecting School Award and is a fantastic reflection of the UNICEF work carried out at The Oval School by pupils and all adults who work with them.

This transformative award supports teachers to talk to children of all ages about the big issues facing the world today, from such things as the refugee crisis to climate change and the impact of the global pandemic. There are three stages to the Rights Respecting Schools Award. Its transformative and rigorous approach means the journey to the highest stage can take up to four years.

Together children and the school community learn about children’s rights by putting them into practice every day. The Award is not just about what children do but also, importantly, what adults do. In Rights Respecting Schools children’s rights are promoted and realised, adults and children work towards this goal together.

A Rights Respecting School is a place where everyone can feel confident and encouraged to have their voice heard and listened to. The Award supports the values of the Trust and our school, enabling them to be brought to life in our school every single day.

There are four important areas of impact for children at Rights Respecting schools. These are improved:

  • health and wellbeing
  • participation and engagement
  • relationships
  • self-esteem and confidence

As a result of a Trust-wide approach to the Award we have set the following shared measures of success:

Children are healthier and happier

By promoting the values of respect, dignity and non-discrimination, children’s self-esteem and wellbeing is boosted and they are less likely to suffer from stress. A child who understands their rights understands how they and others should be treated and their sense of self-worth is strengthened.

Children feel safe and secure

The Rights Respecting Schools Award gives children a powerful language to use to express themselves and to challenge the way they are treated. They are also able to challenge injustices for other children. Children are empowered to access information that enables them to make informed decisions about their learning, health and wellbeing.

Children have better relationships

Both with their teachers and their peers, based on mutual respect and the value of everyone’s opinion. In Rights Respecting schools, children are treated as equals by their fellow pupils and by the adults in the school.  Children are involved in how the Award is implemented in their school but are also involved in strategic decision-making, decisions about their learning and in views about their well-being.

Children become active and involved in school life and the wider world

This builds their confidence to make informed decisions. They have a moral framework, based on equality and respect for all that lasts a lifetime, as they grow into engaged, responsible members of society. Children and adults develop an ethos and language of rights and respect around school. Rights and principles of the UNICEF Rights of the Child Convention are used to put moral situations into perspective and consider rights-respecting solutions which has a huge impact on relationships and well-being. Children get very involved in raising awareness about social justice issues, both at home and abroad. They become ambassadors for rights and take part in campaigns and activities to help to bring about change. 

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