Rights Respecting Schools
At St Michael’s, we are committed to creating a school where every child feels safe, valued, included and listened to.
We are proud to have achieved the UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools Bronze Award: Rights Committed and are now continuing our journey towards the Silver Award: Rights Aware.
The Rights Respecting Schools Award is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This sets out the rights that every child has, including the right to an education, to be safe, to be healthy, to play, to be treated fairly and to have their views listened to.
Rights at St Michael’s
Children’s rights are already reflected across many aspects of school life. They link closely to our values, safeguarding culture, behaviour expectations, inclusion, wellbeing provision, pupil voice and curriculum.
Through assemblies, class discussions, Personal Development, PSHE, RE, Collective Worship and the wider curriculum, children are supported to understand their rights and recognise the rights of others.
Children learn that rights are:
- for all children
- there from birth
- something that cannot be taken away
- not something that has to be earned
- equally important
This helps children understand that rights are universal and unconditional.
Teaching and Learning About Rights
Across school, children learn about key articles from the UNCRC and how these relate to their own lives and the lives of children around the world.
We continue to strengthen this through:
- Article of the Week learning
- assemblies and Collective Worship
- class discussions and curriculum links
- rights-respecting displays
- class charters
- child-friendly UNCRC resources
- opportunities to explore local and global issues
Rights are also linked explicitly to areas such as safeguarding, online safety, anti-bullying, wellbeing, inclusion and positive relationships.
Teaching and Learning Through Rights
Being Rights Respecting is not only about knowing what rights are. It is also about ensuring that children experience those rights through everyday school life.
At St Michael’s, this includes:
- positive and respectful relationships
- high expectations through The St Michael’s Way
- strong safeguarding systems
- support for mental health and wellbeing
- inclusive practice
- opportunities for children to participate and contribute
- a strong focus on equality, dignity and respect
Children are helped to understand how their own actions and choices can respect the rights of others and contribute to a positive school community.
Pupil Voice and Participation
Article 12 of the UNCRC states that children have the right to express their views and for those views to be taken seriously.
Pupil voice is an important part of life at St Michael’s. Children contribute through School Council, pupil leadership roles, surveys, class discussions, subject pupil voice, assemblies and wider consultation.
We are continuing to develop opportunities for children to help shape school life and to see clearly how their views influence decisions and improvements.
Rights Across the Curriculum
Children’s rights are woven through learning across the school.
They are explored through:
- Personal Development
- PSHE
- RE
- Collective Worship
- English
- History
- Geography
- Science
- PE
- online safety
- safeguarding
- anti-bullying work
This gives children opportunities to think about fairness, equality, diversity, belonging, health, education, safety, participation and global responsibility in meaningful contexts.
Taking Action
We want children to recognise that they can make a positive difference to the rights of others.
Across school, pupils take part in charity work, community projects, awareness campaigns, environmental action and other opportunities to support people locally and globally.
As our Rights Respecting work continues to develop, we are strengthening the links between these actions and the specific rights they help to promote.
Our Journey Towards Silver
As we continue towards Silver: Rights Aware, we are building on the strong work already taking place across school.
Our ongoing priorities include:
- further developing Article of the Week
- strengthening class charters and rights-respecting language
- making links to rights increasingly visible across the curriculum
- developing pupil leadership and participation
- strengthening children’s understanding of rights around the world
- giving pupils further opportunities to take action for the rights of others
- continuing to embed rights within safeguarding, behaviour, inclusion and wellbeing
Our aim is for children to not only know about their rights, but to understand how those rights shape their everyday experiences and the way we treat one another.
Our Rights Respecting Message
I have rights.
Every child has rights.
My voice matters.
I respect the rights of others.
I can make a difference.