Rights Respecting School
Gold: Rights Respecting
At Whiston Willis Primary Academy, children’s rights are at the heart of our school. We are proud to be a UNICEF UK Gold: Rights Respecting School, the highest level of the Rights Respecting Schools Award.
We achieved Gold accreditation in July 2023, recognising our commitment to embedding children’s rights throughout our school ethos, curriculum, relationships and everyday practice.
Our Rights Respecting approach reflects our school values and our commitment to creating a safe, happy and inclusive school where everyone is valued, respected and able to thrive.
What is a Rights Respecting School?
The UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
The UNCRC sets out the rights of every child, regardless of who they are or where they live. At Whiston Willis, children learn that they are rights holders and that adults are duty bearers, with a responsibility to respect, protect and help children to realise their rights.
Being Rights Respecting is not simply something we learn about; it influences how we learn, how we treat one another and how we make decisions as a school community.
Rights at the Heart of School Life
As a Gold Rights Respecting School, we teach and learn:
About rights – children and adults develop their knowledge and understanding of the UNCRC and make meaningful links to rights across the curriculum and wider school life.
Through rights – our ethos and relationships are founded on dignity, equality, respect, non-discrimination and participation. Children’s rights inform our policies, practice and decision-making.
For rights – children are encouraged to use their voice, participate in decisions and take action to promote the rights of others within school, their local community and the wider world.
Our Rights Respecting approach can be seen throughout school life, including our curriculum, assemblies, behaviour and relationships, safeguarding, inclusion, wellbeing, play and opportunities for pupil leadership.
Pupil Voice and Participation
We believe that children should be listened to and involved in decisions that affect them. Article 12 of the UNCRC states that every child has the right to express their views and for those views to be taken seriously.
Pupil voice is highly valued at Whiston Willis. Children have opportunities to contribute to school life through our Pupil Leadership Team, pupil voice activities and wider leadership opportunities.
Our children are encouraged to recognise that their voice can make a difference and to develop as responsible, active citizens who respect and advocate for the rights of others.
Rights in Action
Children’s rights are embedded in everyday experiences at Whiston Willis.
Each week, during our Celebration Assembly, a pupil from each class is recognised as our Rights Respecter of the Week. These children demonstrate respect for their own rights and the rights of others through their actions, relationships and choices.
Our younger children have also created a Rights Respecting song, which is sung during Celebration Assembly and helps remind our school community that the rights contained within the UNCRC belong to all children
Across the curriculum and wider school life, children are encouraged to make connections between their learning and rights. This includes opportunities to explore equality, inclusion, health and wellbeing, sustainability, fairness, community and global issues.
The Impact of Being Rights Respecting
Our Rights Respecting approach contributes to a school culture in which:
children feel safe, valued and included;
positive relationships are founded on dignity and mutual respect;
children understand the importance of physical and emotional wellbeing;
children's voices are heard and valued;
children understand and respect the rights of others; and
children are empowered to participate in school life and the wider world.
Our Gold accreditation recognised the strength of pupil voice at Whiston Willis and our commitment to positive relationships based on mutual respect and trust. We continue to develop and sustain this Rights Respecting culture across our school community.
Click here to find out more about our Rights Respecting Schools work.
Video Links
Here is a video link from our Rights Respecting schools Pupil Conference - 2023
