Rights Respecting School Award

UNICEF’s Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA) is based on the rights and responsibilities enshrined in the articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The UNCRC provides a values framework for all school improvement processes including for the Department for Children, Schools and Families’ Social Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) programme.

CfBT is currently piloting the RRSA in Lincolnshire in partnership with UNICEF and a small number of schools (Special, Secondary and Primary). Once the pilot has taken place there will be a roll out of the RRSA to other interested Lincolnshire schools.

The RRSA is premised on the understanding that if children want to achieve they have to feel included, have a sense of belonging and understanding that they matter. Children and young people can raise their achievement at school and improve the quality of their own and their families’ lives, if they learn exactly what their rights and responsibilities are according to the UNCRC and use this understanding as a guide to living.

UNICEF’s RRSA inspires and supports schools who want to provide children and young people with this rights-respecting guide to living.

The process for working towards RRSA accreditation in Lincolnshire is as follows:-

Indicate your expression of interest in the RRSA by contacting Sara Gregory on 01522 553276 or email sgregory@cfbt.com
Once the pilot has been completed and a new date set for the next round of the RRSA you will be invited to a half day training session on the UNCRC
Following the half-day training sessions schools will be expected to complete a registration form and questionnaire. The questionnaire will provide the benchmark against which future developments are considered
Liz Neal and a representative from UNICEF will work with each school to look at their individual approach to the award process.
Approximately one year later the school will be asked to complete the same questionnaire, including views from students: an assessment will be made as to whether the school has met the criteria in order to gain a Level 1 accreditation
If you have any further questions that are not answered in the text above or in the links below please do not hesitate to contact Liz Neal on 07919 167642 (lneal@cfbt.com) or Sara Gregory on 01522 553276 (sgregory@cfbt.com)

UNICEF UK – Rights Respecting School Award

RRSA – Join It All Up

RRSA Powerpoint Presentation (UNICEF UK)

RRSA Action Plan - Level 1

Little Book of Children's Rights and Reponsibilities

Rights for Every Child

Talking Rights: Taking Responsibility (Secondary Resource)

Right Here, Right Now - Teaching Citizenship through Human Rights