Rights Respecting School Award

At Green Gates Primary School, we always encourage the children to be respectful towards each other, staff, parents and the local community. With this in mind, we are proud to announce that we have become a ‘Rights Respecting School’.

We have already achieved Gold Status in March 2022.

Here’s a copy of our report:

Green Gates Primary GOLD REPORT

UNICEF created the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC) which has 54 articles which outline all the rights a child has. It builds on the basic rights a child has, such as the right to:
– Develop to the fullest
– Be protected from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation
– Participate fully in family, cultural and social life

There are four main core principles:

1.  Non-discrimination
2.  Devotion to the best interests of the child
3.  A right to life, survival and develpoment
4.  Respect for the view of children

Why are we a Rights Respecting School?

We decided to become a Rights Respecting School because we wanted Green Gates Primary School to become a better place for everyone. We want to teach children about their rights and we want them to understand how to respect each other’s rights and develop the responsibilities they have towards each other.Rights Respecting learning makes us think more about other people and how our actions and words affect them. We would like children and adults to look at their own behaviours and see how it affects other people and how they would feel if they were treated in a similar way. We believe this is a very important skill for children to succeed in life and be happy.Across the school all children are taught about their rights through lessons. Every year each class makes a class charter. This charter is agreed and signed by the children and details how we will show respect for each other’s rights.Each week children have whole school assemblies about rights from the UNCRC. Following this the children are given time in their class to do follow up work on the right that has been taught that week. This involves discussion and often relates to their role as being local and global citizens.

We are continuing to work with the children to teach them about global issues and have held various fundraising events across the year to help in such issues.

What can you do as parents?

Please support us by discussing the rights of the child with your child, and help to teach them how to respect their rights and the rights of others. Please support them to follow their class charter so that Green Gates can be a happy place where everyone’s rights are respected. For more information about Rights Respecting Schools please visit the website: http://www.unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools

SCHOOL AMBASSADORS

Article 12: Every child has the right to say what they think in all matters affecting them, and to have their views taken seriously. An integral part of a child’s experience at The Alton School is formed by the extensive opportunities we provide for pupils to take on roles of responsibility and leadership. We continue to encourage and value our pupils’ voice and our teams of Buddies and the School Ambassadors play an active role in school life. Pupils’ ongoing commitment has a very positive impact on our learning environment here at Green Gates Primary School and we are incredibly proud of their combined achievements to date. We are confident they will continue to impress us with their ideas and passion. The School Ambassadors meet regularly to discuss school issues and improvements. A pupil from each class (from years 1 to 6) are elected by their peers. They seek the views of their peers about certain issues and feedback in the School Ambassador meeting.

BUDDIES

Article 12: Every child has the right to say what they think in all matters affecting them, and to have their views taken seriously.
Article 16: Every child has the right to meet with other children and young people and to join groups and organisations, as long as this does not stop other people from enjoying their rights.

Through our Buddies scheme, pupils are trained to provide help to other pupils who are unhappy or lonely at play and lunchtimes. They are not there to tell people what to do. They provide support by listening to and helping individuals to think their problems through and consider their options.

Some of the things that Buddies do:
– help new students to settle into school
– run activities at lunchtime so that students have a safe place to be
– are available for any pupil to go and have a chat to about a worry they have

Our curriculum includes lots of links to the articles. Here are a few examples: