UNICEF Rights Respecting School
UNICEF Rights Respecting School
at St John’s Catholic Infant School
St John’s Catholic Infant School is proud to be a recognised UNICEF Rights Respecting School (RRSA), achieving the Silver Award.
The Rights Respecting Schools Award 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. A rights-respecting school not only teaches about children’s rights but also models rights and respect in all its relationships: between children and adults, between adults and between children.
For more information on this initiative visit the UNICEF website:
During our inspection visit from UNICEF the assessor made the following comments;
Throughout the visit staff, pupils and parents had a clear understanding and were confident describing the Articles. A year 2 pupil referred to “the right to have healthy food”. Many pupils referred to the right to an education; to play; to be listened to; to feel safe; to have healthy food and water.
Displays around the school are of an excellent standard and are updated regularly there is evidence made to articles and language of the CRC on numerous displays.
Class charters are created and shared with families, they are taken home and there is a competition held to see how many adults they can tell. Results are celebrated and shared at RRS assembly. All classes share their charters in assembly. A year 1 pupil said “I feel very proud doing the assembly” A year 1 pupil was able to explain “the charter is about your rights and responsibilities”
The displays of charters in each classroom reflect the age of the pupils, a year 1 pupil explained “we put our handprints on the charter to show we share it”. In each classroom pupils were able to show their charter and explain how they came up with their ideas.
All pupils interviewed said they feel in a safe and healthy environment at school, A Year 2 pupil said, “Yes we feel safe in school”.
Pupils and staff interviewed gave examples of how children can express their opinions and have been involved in decisions about their learning and well-being. The school has a well-established School Council, pupils are confident and understand about their roles and responsibilities.
Children have a voice in designing the curriculum that interests them, and raise questions they would like to find answers to. A teacher explained that they ask children about their previous learning, what they would like to learn, take their ideas and create a topic.
Pupils are involved in many types of fundraising to improve the lives of children locally and globally; they have supported communities in Pakistan, India and Kenya. The Lent fund raising supports Mission Together which supports children globally as well as children in this country through the Diocesan charity "The Good Shepherd". The school community has also supported a local homeless charity, Response through collections.
There is a very comprehensive planned list of events throughout the school year that are linked to articles, these include for example: Nov– Rights Respecting Day, Feb – Annual CUrriculum Enrihment Weeks, Nov – Friendship Day (Anti Bullying Week), Fundraising events – local, national and global. There are also other events planned into the school calendar which establish clear links between children’s rights and the global dimension. There is clear evidence that these events are part of a systematic approach to the curriculum development.