RRSARights Respecting Schools Award Update

We have been working hard over the past 18 months towards achieving recognition for Sandwick Junior High School as a “Rights Respecting School’, and are very pleased to be receiving a visit from Gerry McMurtrie (Children’s Rights and Information Officer) next Tuesday and Wednesday, to assess our progress, and to train some of our pupils and staff to be RRSA assessors. A number of Shetland schools are now working towards the award, however, Sandwick is the first school to reach the assessment stage, and we hope to achieve our Level 1 award next week.

The award is given to schools on behalf of UNICEF. UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. In 1989, governments worldwide promised all children the same rights by adopting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). These rights are based on what a child needs to survive, grow, participate and fulfil their potential.

A Rights Respecting School is a school where the values of the UNCRC, (a right to education, to be healthy, to a childhood, to be treated fairly and to be heard), play a central role in the school’s ethos. This fits in really well with the ethos we have at Sandwick and the expectations that we place on everyone within our school environment (both adults and children).

Every pupil in the school has been consulted in creating our “Sandwick J H School Charter of Rights and Responsibilities”, and in choosing the rights and responsibilities to be included, as an agreement of how everyone in our school should behave. Primary and Nursery pupils have also discussed and produced Class Charters based on the School Charter, but using ideas and wording more appropriate to their age and stage.

If you would like more information about the work of UNICEF or the Rights Respecting School Award then please visit: www.unicef.org.uk/rrsa. We would be delighted if any parents would like to become more involved in our work towards the RRSA, perhaps by joining our Steering Group.