What is RRSA?

Lessness Heath Primary aims to be a school where every aspect of a child’s life is focused on and developed, including their wellbeing. As part of our school’s aims to promote a happy and successful school, we are working towards becoming a Rights Respecting School. This is an award given to schools by UNICEF.

UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. In 1989, governments worldwide promised all children the same rights by adopting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). These rights are based on what a child needs to survive, grow, participate and fulfil their potential.

The Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA) encourages the school community to focus on issues of equality, justice and sustainability both at home and as global issues. By learning about their rights, our pupils, your children, also learn about the importance of respecting the rights of others and understanding their own responsibilities.

This work strongly supports our relationship-based behaviour policy, which is rooted in respect, fairness and positive relationships. By embedding children’s rights into daily school life, we help pupils develop empathy, self-regulation and a shared understanding of how their behaviour impacts others, creating a calm, safe and inclusive learning environment for all.

What is the UNCRC?

UNCRC stands for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child. It was created by UNICEF and it has 54 articles which outline all the rights a child has.

As a school community, we have chosen 12 of the articles to focus on at the start of our journey.

What does the Award involve?

Schools involved in the Rights Respecting Schools Award work towards recognition that they have embedded children’s rights in their school’s practice and ethos. Schools are required to implement three strands that cover teaching and learning about the rights, through the rights and for the rights.

Strand A: Teaching and learning about rights

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is made known to children, young people and adults, who use this shared understanding to work for improved child wellbeing, school improvement, global justice and sustainable living.

Strand B: Teaching and learning through rights – ethos and relationships

Actions and decisions affecting children are rooted in, reviewed and resolved through rights. Children, young people and adults collaborate to develop and maintain a school community based on equality, dignity, respect, non-discrimination and participation; this includes learning and teaching in a way that respects the rights of both educators and learners and promotes wellbeing.

Strand C: Teaching and learning for rights – participation, empowerment and action

Children are empowered to enjoy and exercise their rights and to promote the rights of others locally and globally. Duty bearers are accountable for ensuring that children experience their rights.

Our School Journey

We began our Rights Respecting journey in September 2025 because we believe children learn best when they feel safe, respected, and happy. We have now achieved the bronze award and are now looking forward to becoming a Silver Rights Respecting School.

• Current award level: Bronze

• Our focus is on embedding children’s rights into everyday school life

• We are continuing to develop children’s understanding of rights across lessons, assemblies, and playtimes

RRSA fits closely with our school values and our approach to behaviour, wellbeing, and pupil voice.

Children’s Rights in Our School

At our school, children learn that everyone has the same rights, and that these rights help us learn and grow together. The Rights Respecting Schools Award gives children a powerful language to use to express themselves and to challenge the way they are treated. They are also able to challenge injustices for other children. Children and young people are empowered to access information that enables them to make informed decisions about their learning, health and wellbeing.

Some of the rights we focus on include:

• Article 28 – The right to an education

• Article 12 – The right to be listened to

• Article 19 – The right to be safe

• Article 29 – The right to learn and develop

Children learn about rights through:

• Assemblies and class discussions

• PSHE and other curriculum links

• Displays around the school

What RRSA Looks Like Day to Day

In a Rights Respecting school, children are treated as equals by their fellow pupils and by the adults in the school.  Children and young people are involved in how the Award is implemented in the school, but are also involved in strategic decision-making; in decisions about their learning; and in views about their well-being.

Being a Rights Respecting School influences everyday practice, including:

• A behaviour approach built on mutual respect and dignity

• Clear routines that support pupils’ right to learn

• Calm, reflective conversations to repair relationships

• Staff modelling respectful language and fairness

• Curriculum links that explore rights, equality, and justice

RRSA supports a positive school culture where pupils feel confident to learn, take responsibility, and support one another.

Our School Journey

What do our children think?

“By learning about our rights, we can become better grown-ups.”

“By learning about the different articles, we can help support younger children to respect everyone.”

By learning about our rights and the different articles, we can support younger children, respect everyone, and understand right and wrong.”