Rights Respecting
Benedict Biscop Academy is a Rights Respecting School. This means we abide by the Charter of Children’s Rights and actively teach children to understand their Rights and the Responsibilities which come with them through our curriculum. Each year we have a theme called “What I Believe”. These are based on some of the article set out in the convention and allows children to develop a better understanding of children’s rights, fundamental in enabling them to flourish as young people.
On the 20th November 1989 the United Nations sanctioned the UNCRC. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international statement of ALL of the rights that children have.
UNICEF protects and promotes those rights and the Rights Respecting Schools Award seeks to put the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of a school’s ethos and culture to make sure that every child is healthy, educated, treated fairly and listened to. They also make sure that all children are protected from violence, abuse and exploitation.
A Rights Respecting School teaches child rights and models rights and respect in all its relationships – between teacher / adults and pupils, between adults and between pupils.
Some of the Articles of UNCRC:
Article 1:
Everyone under 18 has these rights
Article 2:
All children have these rights, no matter who they are, where they live, what their parents do, what language they speak, what their religion is, whether they are a boy or girl, what their culture is, whether they have a disability, whether they are rich or poor. No child should be treated unfairly on any basis.
Article 3:
All adults should do what is best for you. When adults make decisions, they should think about how their decisions will affect children.
Article 12:
You have the right to give your opinion, and for adults to listen and take it seriously.
Article 13:
You have the right to find out things and share what you think with others, by talking, drawing, writing or in any other way unless it harms or offends other people.
Article 28:
You have the right to a good quality education. You should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level you can.
Article 29:
Your education should help you use and develop your talents and abilities. It should also help you learn to live peacefully, protect the environment and respect other people.
We have these rights displayed around school in this child friendly language linked to displays and work to help generate discussion promote the UNCRC and remind children and staff on a daily basis why they are important.
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 how they may show respect for those rights.
- 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 respect language with your children.
- Ask your child’s opinion on children’s rights.
Classroom Charters
As part of our commitment to being a Rights Respecting School, we design and create our own classroom charters every September.
After discussing all of the articles, we pick those which were most important to us. Each class then creates their own charter based on the rights of a child and how we, as responsible citizens, can respect those rights. Both staff and children understand their roles in following the charters and have all signed them in agreement.
Pupil Voice
We have many opportunities in school to gather children’s voice and opinion. Our school council are elected each September by our classmates who are led by our House Captains. The House Captains and the School Council lead our Rights Respecting Steering Group, along with Mrs Crane our Parent advocate. Click here to meet them.
We meet regularly to discuss what is happening in school and the thoughts and suggestions from all pupils so that appropriate action may be taken to improve our school, and to organise events and fundraising to support our local, national and international communities and charities.
Some of the work that we have done includes:
Bethany City Church Food Bank Collection
Food donations from our Harvest Celebration Worship were forwarded on to our local Food Bank here in Sunderland at Bethany city Church. This supports local families and individuals who may have otherwise gone hungry without the provision of emergency food parcels for those in a crisis situation.
Environment Day
Carol Singing
Christmas Jumper Day
Fundraising for RNLI
More information about UNICEF and RIGHTS RESPECTING can be found here: https://www.unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools/the-rrsa/what-is-a-rights-respecting-school/
