News
Coombeshead Academy is to be awarded the Silver Rights Respecting School Award by UNICEF UK
20th March 2022UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. The Rights Respecting Schools Award is granted to schools that show commitment to promoting and realising children’s rights and encouraging adults, children and young people to respect the rights of others in school. Silver is given to schools that make excellent progress towards embedding the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into its ethos and curriculum. There are over 1,300 schools across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales that have achieved Silver and over 600 schools that have been awarded Gold, the next step up and highest accolade granted by UNICEF.
Mr Coles, Head Teacher, said: “we are delighted to have gained our Rights Respecting School Silver Award. Achieving this award reflects the hard work the school has done to ensure that young people are at the very centre of our focus. We are determined for young people to be true participants in the day to day running and development of our school and the Rights Respecting has given us the vehicle to achieve our goals.’
The Award recognises achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of a school’s planning, policies and practice. A Rights Respecting School is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted.
The UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools initiative is aimed at schools across the UK, including those in an early years setting. Currently, it works with nearly 5,000 primary schools, secondary schools, schools for children and young people with special educational needs and pupil referral units across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Schools have reported a positive impact on pupil behaviour, relationships and well-being by enhancing pupils’ self-esteem, leading to less truancy and bullying, better learning and improved academic standards.