Our Rights Respecting School Journey 

What is it and why are we taking part? 

At Whiteabbey Primary School, our school motto is to  

Welcome 

                    Prepare  

                                      Succeed 

As a result our aim is to ensure pupils are: 

• Happy & Successful learners 

• Informed & Confident individuals 

• Compassionate & Responsible citizens 

With this in mind, the school is working towards becoming a Silver accredited UNICEF Rights Respecting School by June 2025. This award aims to embed further our school ethos and practice to ensure our children have a safe place to learn, where they are respected, their talents are nurtured, and they are able to thrive, whilst giving children the best chance to lead happy, healthy lives and to be responsible, active citizens. 

What is a Rights Respecting School? 

The Rights Respecting Schools Award recognises schools that place children’s rights at the heart of their school.  It is an award delivered by UNICEF, the world’s leading organisation for children and young people, promoting the rights and well-being of every child, in everything they do.  You can find more information about UNICEF and their work with schools here. 

What are children’s rights? 

In 1989, governments worldwide promised all children the same rights by adopting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

The Convention recognised that all children have the right to be treated with dignity and fairness, to be protected to develop their full potential and participate. The rights in the Convention describe what a child needs to survive, grow and live up to their potential in the world. They apply equally to any child, no matter who they are or where they came from. 

The Convention has changed the way children are viewed and treated—in other words, as human beings with a distinct set of rights instead of as passive objects of care and charity. It is the most widely ratified human rights treaty- only the United States has not ratified it. The UK signed up to the UN Conventions on the Right of the Child in 1991. 

The rights of children are referred to in the convention, as articles.  Click here to view a list of the articles. 

What does the Award involve? 

The Right 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. 

Find copies of the CRC here: https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention 

For a school to receive accreditation, it must evidence that it has reached the three RRSA Strands: 

Strand A: Teaching and learning about rights 

Strand B: Teaching and learning through rights – ethos and relationships 

Strand C: Teaching and learning for rights – participation, empowerment and action 

Schools involved in the Rights Respecting Schools Award work towards three levels: 

• Bronze – Rights Committed – The first stage of the Rights Respecting Schools Award. 

• Silver – Rights Aware – The second stage of the Rights Respecting Schools Award. 

• Gold – Rights Respecting – The highest stage of the Rights Respecting Schools Award (after Bronze: Rights Committed and Silver: Rights Aware). It is granted by UNICEF UK to schools that have fully embedded children’s rights throughout the school in its policies, practice and ethos, as outlined in the three RRSA Strands. 

What does Rights Respecting look like in Whiteabbey Primary School? 

• Our pupils learn about their rights through assemblies and Personal Development and Mutual Understanding (PDMU) lessons. 

• Pupils consider rights when interacting with their peers and resolving disagreements. 

• Through playground and classroom charters, pupils and adults understand how to ensure that everyone makes the most of their education and break times positively. 

• Both adults and pupils ensure that everyone in the school is treated with respect and dignity. 

• Our groups of Rights Respecting School Ambassadors ensure that all pupils in the school have a say in school decisions, where appropriate. 

• Pupils are encouraged to discuss rights in all aspects of their learning and reading materials. 

• Pupils learn about different charities and how they support children around the world. 

• Pupils take part in various roles and responsibilities, campaigns and charities for children’s rights locally and globally. 

Rights Respecting Steering Group  

Our Rights Respecting Steering Group were invited to apply for their position and have been elected by their peers through a democratic voting process and are listed below: 

P4: Millie Weston / Blake Hughes 

P5: Tom Smith / Maya Rodgers  

P6: Sam Reaney/ Alexander Higgins 

P7: Sara Halliday/ Maya-Lee Skillen 

The steering group are elected to be promoters of all our pupil’s voices; their job is to help ensure that Whiteabbey Primary School is a safe and happy place for all to learn in. They are also champions of rights, and they ensure that the rights are promoted and discussed in their classes. 

Find out more about the UNICEF Rights Respecting School Award here: https://www.unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools/