What is the UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools Award?

The UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) is based on principles of equality, dignity, respect, nondiscrimination and participation. The RRSA seeks to put the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of a school’s ethos and culture to improve well-being and develop every child’s talents and abilities to their full potential. A rights-respecting school is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted. Young people and the school community learn about children’s rights by putting them into practice every day.

What Impact Does It Have?

On the school

• RRSA is not an initiative, but instead provides an overarching set of values that improve the climate for learning and within which other initiatives can sit

• A deeper and more cohesive way of working

• Improved relationships with pupils and a reduced hierarchical divide between staff and pupils, due to a common rights-respecting language

On children

• Improved self esteem and feelings of being valued and listened to

• Increased levels of respect for each other, leading to improved relationships with other pupils and with staff

• A sense of security as rights-respecting language and behaviour is used consistently throughout the school

• Improved attainment and attendance, and a reduction in exclusions

• An understanding and respect of religions, cultures, beliefs and abilities different to their own

• A wider and deeper understanding of the world in which they live

On adults

• Strengthened collaborative working

• Increased consultative approach with other adults and pupils

• A sense of ownership in developing an approach that meets the needs and aspirations of the school as a whole

• A sense that the whole school is working towards a common goal, leading to feelings of empowerment for both staff and pupils

• A platform is developed for parental engagement and discussion

Unicef Outright Campaign 2019

As part of our Outright campaign the Unicef and Junior Leadership Team wanted to make a difference to our school and local community. They decided to start the Percy Sparkle Squad. Once a week, 6 children help to keep our school grounds and surrounding roads clean and tidy. Thanks guys, what a great job you are doing!

Unicef - Walk A Mile In My Shoes (May 2019)

Percy Shurmer Academy were proud to support the Unicef and Clarks campaign to collect old or unwanted shoes that are sent for re-use to other countries. For every tonne of shoes collected, a donation is made to Unicef to support education programmes around the world. At Percy we were able to collect 84 pairs of shoes, which the Steering group took to Clarks, in Kings Heath. Well done to all of you who supported this great campaign. If you would like to know more please click on the link below...

https://www.unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools/resources/shoeshare/

NDCS Cake Sale (May 2019)

On Friday 10th May 2019 we held a cake sale to raise funds for the NDCS charity. We manged to raise the fantastic amount of £133.15. Well done to everyone for donating and buying cakes. A big thanks to the Unicef steering group and Deaf Learning Base children for manning the hectic stall.

Article 27

You have the right to food, clothing, a safe place to live and to have your basic needs met. You should not be disadvantaged so that you can't do many of the things that other kids can do.

October 2018

We have formed our new RRSA steering group. The children thought of a name for our team and decided upon, `Children who Care`

We meet regularly to discuss children's rights and plan what we are going to do.

This term we have organised a collection of food for the Balsall Heath Church Centre.

Article 24

You have the right to nutritious food.

We were shocked that children in our community are going hungry and go to school with no breakfast.

We delivered the food to the foodbank ourselves to see what great work is being done there.

Thank you to everyone who has helped by bringing food to school for the collection.

Rights Respecting School Award - Level 1

Well done to everyone at Percy Shurmer Academy on achieving the level 1 RRSA award.