Allenby Primary School

At the end of March 2014, we were delighted to become one of only 228 schools to be awarded the Rights Respecting School Award at Level 2. This is the highest stage and is awarded to schools that have fully embedded the UN convention on the Rights of the Child in their practice and ethos. The award is granted by UNICEF UK.

See the Rights Respecting Schools Award website for more details:

http://www.unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools/

Rights must be:

–          Universal: all children, all the time

–          Unconditional: not a reward….you don’t have to earn them

–          Inherent: they are yours…you are born with them….because you are a human

–          Indivisible: they come as a whole package. They are equal. A web. Interlinked. The web cannot be broken

–          Inalienable: can’t be lost or given away

–          They are NOT absolute…e.g. you can’t exercise your right to “play” when you are in the middle of a lesson. The only absolute right is your right not to be abused or tortured

–          Limited: if you don’t respect the rights of others in your classroom you might have to work in a safe place elsewhere

–          Prioritised: rights can be prioritised in certain situations (e.g disaster management) but also day to day at school.

–          Qualified: must be used in a measured way…you have the right to a voice but without the use of discriminatory language; you have the right to play…but safely.

In the report the assessors commented that:

“It was particularly notable that the school’s Rights Respecting ethos is clearly understood and experienced throughout the school and its wider community. There is clear enthusiasm amongst the pupils for sharing their knowledge of rights and supporting others both locally and globally.”