We are UNICEF Rights Respecting School

 

 A Rights Respecting School is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted.

Unicef 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. The Unicef UK Rights Respecting Schools initiative is aimed at schools across the UK, including those with an early years setting.  Rights Respecting Schools across the UK 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.

 Park Hill School has been working with Unicef since September 2017. We are celebrating our achievement in reaching Silver Level (Rights ) and are continuing to establish the ethos of respecting the rights of all children, based on the UN Convention.

 

At Park Hill, we are now a Rights Respecting School with SILVER RIGHTS AWARE status.

 Please  read some of the quotes below from our July, 2023 report:

‘The pupils at Park Hill Primary are both knowledgeable and vociferous in their awareness of rights. Through their engagement in assemblies, lessons, RHE (Relationships and Health Education) sessions and Rights of the Week, they were able to list a good number of rights and be clear that rights apply from birth to age eighteen and to all children. They were insightful in identifying where rights may be denied, “in this country, through homelessness”, and further afield due to war or earthquakes, “like in Turkey or Ukraine, where children might not get their education, clean water, shelter, food or be protected from harm.”

 

‘Park Hill has a well-developed network of opportunities for pupils to become involved in the life of the school and to voice their opinion. Entry into the School Council, Ambassador Group and House Captaincy are through application, hustings and democratic pupil vote, promoting pupils’ understanding of early democratic processes. School Council chooses a range of charities to support, and pupils are beginning to understand the impact of the funds raised on improvements in the lives of others. 4 They have raised funds to help children affected by the war in Ukraine and the earthquakes in Turkey. They have also supported a local food bank. Pupils have been involved in supporting the future of a nearby library which they have visited regularly, able to describe the effect of its possible closure and the impact on their learning and enjoyment of reading. Themed days and events have helped pupils understand World Refugee Day, the benefits of Children in Need and Comic Relief.’