Rights Respecting School
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international agreement setting out the rights of children. It is a list of rights that all children and young people, everywhere in the world have. These rights are based on what a child needs to survive, grow, participate, and fulfil their potential.
At St John's, we are committed to promoting these rights for all students and ensuring that they are at the heart of our ethos and culture as a Christian school. A summary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child can be found here. The school is on the journey to becoming a “Rights Respecting School”, which is an Award that recognises a school’s achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into practice within the school and beyond. To date, the school has successfully achieved Bronze: Rights Committed status.
Working towards the RRSA provides students with the opportunity to lead change. To achieve the award students and teachers are working together to address three main areas.
- Teaching and learning about rights - The UNCRC is made known to children, young people and adults who use this shared understanding to work for improved child well-being, school improvement, global justice and sustainable living;
- Teaching and learning through rights - ethos and relationships. Actions and decisions affecting children are rooted, reviewed and resolved through rights. Children, young people, and adults collaborate to develop and maintain a school community based on equality, dignity, respect, non-discrimination and participation; and
- Teaching and learning for rights - participation, empowerment, and action. Children are empowered to enjoy and exercise their rights and to promote the rights of others locally and globally.
By becoming a “Rights Respecting School”, students will have the opportunity to learn about these rights by putting them into practice every day. A UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School models rights and respect. This impacts on students’ respect for themselves and others and contributes to high levels of engagement in learning.