Rights Respecting School

Heathland School is a Gold Accredited Rights Respecting School

The Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) recognises achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) at the heart of a school’s planning, policies, practice and ethos. A rights-respecting school not only teaches about children’s rights but also models rights and respect in all its relationships in our school community. The UNICEF website reports that Children in Rights Respecting Schools feel safe in school, are respected, and enjoy supportive relationships with the adults who care for them and engaged with their local community, their education and the global agenda.

Heathland has been working with UINICEF UK since September 2011 and we achieved our Gold award in 2022, which showed our deep and thorough commitment to children’s rights at all levels of school life.

In our gold report from UNICEF (click here to see the report) some of our highlighted strengths as a school are:

Children’s breadth of knowledge about their rights, how they can claim them for themselves and their commitment to affect change to enable others to enjoy them locally, nationally, and globally.
Respectful relationships provide a solid foundation for their rights respecting ethos and this guides policy and practice in all areas.
A child-centred approach to behaviour based on positive relationships and communication.
The school has a strong culture of inclusivity and respect which is understood and articulated by children and adults alike.
Pupil voice and participation is well developed. The children know they have a voice, and are engaged in strategic decision-making and school improvement.
A strong pupil led ‘Rights Respecting Council’ who are increasingly taking ownership of their activities and enabling change in school and beyond.

When we asked what information, we wanted to share with parents, two of our Rights Ambassadors said:

‘Our Rights Respecting School is like being in paradise. Our rights are respected in school because we take care of each other and make sure we are safe. We use the Articles from the Convention of the Rights of the Child (copy attached below). There are 54 in total. Articles 1-42 are the rights for children and Articles 43-54 are about how adults and governments must work together to help children enjoy these rights. Each year, we raise money and give it to an international charity.’

Each year, our Rights Respecting Ambassadors do fantastic job of promoting children’s rights within our school and local community. In their words,

‘As Rights Respecting Ambassadors, our mission is to make sure that everyone knows that there are 54 articles in the Convention for the Rights of the Child and that all children know their rights. We want everyone to feel like they have rights and know their importance, and we want to help those in need who don’t have access to them. We aim to talk about our rights and values, and look after others by being kind and respectful. We will look after our school, making it great and a safe place to be, by spreading the love.’