Rights Respecting School Award

At Offley Primary School  we have started to complete the first step towards becoming a Rights Respecting School and are working on the first stage, the Recognition of Commitment, which leads to Level 1 of  'The Rights Respecting Schools Award' (RRSA). This recognises achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 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 teachers / adults and pupils, between adults and between pupils.

We believe that being a Rights Respecting School supports a rich learning environment that places the best interests of the child at the heart of all our policy and practice.  All of our classes now have a learning and rights and responsibilities charters which ensure our young people are continuously reminded about how their actions contribute to a positive learning environment for everyone.

It is important that children recognise that with rights come responsibilities.  By this we mean; 

• For children: the responsibility to respect the rights of others.

• For parents: to respect and provide for the rights of their children.

• For governments: to support families and to respect and provide for the rights of children.

Our Charters

Our school  has created class charters  that support the philosophy of 'Everyone has a right.....Everyone has a responsibility'.  We have chosen 5 rights that we feel are particularly important to our school but also link really well with our Offley drivers.

Article 29 - Our main focus

Your education should help you use and develop your talents and abilities.

Article 13 Linked to Creativity and critical thinking.

- You have the right to find out things and share what you think with others. 

Article 6 - Linked to Resilience

You have the right to be alive.

Article 31 - Linked to Love Of Learning

You have the right to rest and play.

Article 12 - Linked to teamwork and tolerance

You have the right to give your opinion and for adults to listen and take it seriously.

Our Steering Group 

Our steering group attend meetings once a month.   They are also responsible for the school display, planning and monitoring UNICEF activities, feeding back to their classes through video reports and will be eventually delivering assemblies.  The steering group is made up of  teaching staff,  non- teaching staff and the school council children.

How can parents support their child to learn about the Convention at home?

Take the time to ask your child what he/she has learnt recently regarding children’s rights and responsibilities.

• Discuss the ideas learned in class, and try to think of examples from your own experiences, or from the media, of rights being respected or denied.

• Discuss how your child or your family can promote respect for rights, or help those whose rights have been violated.

• Model using rights and responsibility language with your children.

• Ask your child’s opinion on children’s rights.