UNICEF Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA) Gold

We Are a Gold Rights Respecting School

At Bridgelea, children’s rights are at the heart of everything we do.

We are proud to hold the UNICEF Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA) Gold: Rights Respecting status. This recognition reflects our commitment to ensuring that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is embedded throughout our school culture, curriculum, policies and practice.

Being a Rights Respecting School means that children are not only taught about their rights but are empowered to understand how those rights influence their lives, relationships and responsibilities as members of local, national and global communities.

At Bridgelea, every child is valued, listened to and supported to achieve their full potential.

What Rights Respecting Looks Like at Bridgelea

Children’s rights are woven throughout school life through:

• A curriculum that promotes equality, respect, participation and inclusion.
• Strong pupil voice opportunities.
• Restorative and nurturing approaches to behaviour and relationships.
• Rights Respecting School assemblies and themed events.
• Opportunities for children to influence decision-making.
• Partnerships with families and the wider community.
• Global citizenship learning and social action projects.

The language of rights is used daily by pupils and staff to help create a safe, respectful and inclusive learning environment.

Our Rights Respecting Journey

We are proud that RRSA has become fully embedded within our school community.

Children understand that:

The ABCDE of Rights

A – All children have rights.

B – Rights are there from birth.

C – Rights cannot be taken away.

D – Rights do not have to be earned.

E – Every right is equally important.

Through this understanding, children develop confidence, empathy, respect and a strong sense of fairness.

Pupil Voice Matters

Article 12 of the UNCRC states that children have the right to express their views and for those views to be taken seriously.

At Bridgelea, we actively promote pupil participation through:

• School Council
• RRSA Ambassadors
• Pupil surveys
• Circle time
• Reviews and pupil meetings
• Classroom discussions
• Rights Respecting assemblies

Children help shape many aspects of school life and are encouraged to be active participants in decisions that affect them.

Rights Respecting in the Classroom

Every floor develops a Class Charter with pupils.

Children work together to agree:

• The rights they will focus on.
• How they will respect these rights.
• The responsibilities that accompany them.
• How adults and children can work together to create a positive learning environment.

Class Charters help children understand their rights while developing mutual respect and accountability.

Developing Global Citizens

As a Rights Respecting School, we encourage children to understand the wider world and their role within it.

Through our curriculum, assemblies, enrichment opportunities and themed weeks, pupils learn about:

• Equality and diversity.
• Environmental responsibility.
• Children’s rights around the world.
• Community action.
• Social justice.
• Respect for others.

We want every child to leave Bridgelea as a confident, compassionate and informed citizen.

Working Together with Families

We know that children’s rights are strongest when schools and families work together.

We are committed to helping parents and carers:

• Understand the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• Support children’s rights at home.
• Develop confidence as rights-respecting adults and role models.
• Contribute their views to the ongoing development of our school.

We value the important role families play in helping children feel safe, respected and heard.

How Rights and Nurture Work Together at Bridgelea

Our Rights Respecting work sits alongside our commitment to being a National Nurturing School.

Together, these approaches ensure that:

• Children feel safe and valued.
• Relationships are at the centre of learning.
• Children’s voices are heard.
• Emotional wellbeing is prioritised.
• Inclusion and belonging are promoted.
• Every child is treated with dignity and respect.

The combination of nurture and rights creates a culture where children can thrive both personally and academically.

Our Next Steps

As we continue our Rights Respecting journey, we will focus on:

• Further strengthening pupil leadership opportunities.
• Increasing family engagement with children’s rights.
• Deepening understanding of global citizenship.
• Continuing to embed rights-based language across the curriculum.
• Supporting children to become advocates for themselves and others.

We are incredibly proud of what our pupils, families, governors and staff have achieved together and look forward to continuing our Rights Respecting journey.

The Rights chosen by the pupils, through their expressed preferences, include:

• Article 12: You have the right to give your opinion, and for adults to listen and take it seriously.
• Article 13: You have the right to find out things and share what you think with others, by talking, drawing, writing, or in any other way unless it harms or offends other people.
• Article 15: You have the right to choose your own friends and join or set up groups, as long as it isn’t harmful to others.
• Article 24: You have the right to the best healthcare possible, safe water to drink, nutritious food, a clean and safe environment, and information to help you stay well.
• Article 27: You have the right to food, clothing, a safe place to live, and to have your basic needs met. You should not be disadvantaged so that you can’t do many of the things other children can enjoy.
• Article 28: You have the right to a good quality education. You should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level you can.
• Article 29: Your education should help you use and develop your talents and abilities. It should also prepare you to live peacefully, protect the environment, and respect other people.
• Article 30: You have the right to practice your own culture, language, and religion – or any you choose. Minority and indigenous groups need special protection of this right.
• Article 31: You have the right to play and rest.
• Article 39: You have the right to help if you’ve been hurt, neglected, or badly treated.

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