At Elmstead Wood Primary School, children learn that their rights are universal, inherent and indivisible. From EYFS, children are taught what their rights are so they can discuss these in the classroom, on the playground, at home and in the wider community. This understanding leads to positive outcomes: developing children’s self-esteem, advancing their academic performance and creating a diverse environment which champions respect and inclusion amongst all pupils. 

 

 

What is Rights Respecting and how is this embedded within our school community?

 

We have recently started our Rights Respecting Schools journey and we are working hard to achieve our Bronze Rights Respecting School Award. The foundation of this project is the Convention of Rights for the Child (CRC): an agreement created by UNICEF which states the civil, political, economic and cultural rights of all children globally. 

 

At Elmstead Wood Primary School, we have a strong emphasis on safeguarding, pastoral care and supporting children in their social, emotional and mental health which encourages the children to develop into well-rounded individuals who are able to succeed in their life beyond academia. The Theory of Change illustrates our school’s vision for how we can ensure our school is continuously developing to create positive and inclusive change. It explains how Rights Respecting is a holistic approach which encourages every adult to be a duty-bearer in supporting children’s rights. 

 

 

In school, we have created a steering group of children, consisting of one representative from each class in Years 1-6. This group will work closely with our Rights Respecting lead and senior leadership team to promote positive behaviour, wellbeing and an understanding of children’s rights. These children will deliver termly assemblies which promote shared values, community spirit and different articles from the Convention of Rights for the Child. 

 

Children are given access to a broad and rich curriculum which is tailored to support the diverse needs of all pupils. We will be incorporating the Convention of Rights for the Child into our curriculum planning so our children are explicitly informed of their rights and empowered to enjoy and exercise them.  Within the classroom, children learn about their rights and are empowered to take ownership of their own learning and behaviour. Teachers have high expectations of learning and behaviour which encourage the children to develop the intrinsic motivation to value their education. 

 

Our literary canon contains all the books which the children will read throughout their time at Elmstead Wood Primary School. This has been designed to ensure children are exposed to a comprehensive range of literature representing a variety of different contexts, such as: diversity, religion, inclusion, neurodiversity, gender equality and social justice. Reading a wide range of literature enables our children to become compassionate and informed global citizens. 

For more information on the Rights Respecting Schools programme, please use the following link: unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools