Rights Respecting
The Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA) is an initiative run by Unicef, which encourages schools to place the UN Convention on the Rights of the child (CRC) at the heart of its ethos and curriculum. A Rights Respecting School not only teaches about children’s rights; it also models rights and respect in all its relationships, whether between children or between children and adults.
The RRSA initiative started in 2004. In autumn 2017, UNICEF said that it was working with more UK schools than almost any other organization, that 1.5 million children in the UK go to a Rights Respecting School, and that more than 4,000 schools up and down the country are working towards the award. Many schools have reported a decrease in bullying, an improvement in achievement and participation, a positive effect on attitudes and global awareness, and a more inclusive, caring school atmosphere.
Adults and young people have reported that the language of rights and responsibilities, based on the CRC, empowers them to relate to each other better and to engage in decision-making more collaboratively. The effects of the Rights Respecting School initiative can be seen not just through school councils but also through the inclusive, participative way the whole school works during lessons, meal times, play, class and through parents’ involvement.
At Manor Road Primary School we are on our way to becoming Rights Respecting Citizens!
We have recently achieved the Bronze award of commitment and the Rights Council are very keen to continue striving towards the Silver award. Please see the link below for more information on the award: