Rights Respecting Schools

Putting Children’s Rights at the Heart of PCPS

At Ponteland Community Primary School, we believe that every child has the right to feel safe, valued, respected and able to participate fully in school life.

Our work as a Rights Respecting School is based upon the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and complements our own vision, values and commitment to providing an abundance of opportunities for every child.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

What is a Rights Respecting School?

The UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools Award supports schools to place children’s rights at the heart of their ethos, culture and everyday practice.

It helps children to understand their own rights, recognise the rights of others and develop the confidence and knowledge to become active and responsible members of their communities.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT UNICEF UK’S RIGHTS RESPECTING SCHOOLS AWARD

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child contains 54 articles covering children’s civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.

These rights belong to every child under the age of 18, regardless of who they are, where they live or their circumstances.

Rights at PCPS

Being Rights Respecting is not simply something we teach in individual lessons.

Children’s rights are reflected throughout school life at PCPS — in the way we treat one another, the relationships between children and adults, our curriculum, our expectations and the opportunities children have to contribute to their school.

Children learn about rights, through rights and for rights.

This means helping children to:

  • understand their own rights
  • recognise and respect the rights of others
  • understand that rights belong to every child
  • develop confidence in expressing their views
  • listen respectfully to different opinions
  • understand fairness, equality and inclusion
  • recognise injustice and discrimination
  • take responsibility and contribute positively
  • understand their place within the wider world

Our Classroom Promise

Our Rights Respecting approach is closely connected to our Classroom Promise.

We want every child at PCPS to feel:

Safe • Happy • Known • Valued • Challenged • Inspired • Supported • Encouraged • Successful

Children’s rights help us think carefully about what these words mean in practice.

Children have a right to be safe, to receive an education, to be heard, to be treated fairly and to develop their abilities and talents.

Our responsibility as a school is to create an environment in which those rights can be understood, respected and realised.

Rights & Responsibilities

Children’s rights are universal and unconditional — they are not rewards that can be earned or taken away because of behaviour.

However, learning about rights also helps children understand the impact their actions can have on the rights of other people.

For example, everyone has a right to learn. Children therefore learn that their behaviour should allow themselves and others to learn successfully.

Everyone has a right to feel safe. Children learn that their choices and actions should help create a safe and respectful environment for everyone.

This helps children understand the relationship between rights, respect and personal responsibility.

Pupil Voice

An important part of being Rights Respecting is ensuring that children know their views matter.

At PCPS, children have opportunities to express their opinions, contribute ideas and influence aspects of school life.

This happens through class discussions, pupil surveys, consultation and our wide range of pupil leadership opportunities.

We want children to develop the confidence to speak, listen, question and contribute.

Adults have an important responsibility to listen carefully to children’s views and give them appropriate consideration.

Pupil Leadership

Children should not simply attend PCPS — they should play an active role in their school community.

Our children have opportunities to develop leadership and responsibility through roles including:

  • House Captains
  • School Council
  • Wellbeing Ambassadors
  • Sports Leaders
  • Reading Ambassadors
  • Digital Leaders
  • Play Leaders
  • Eco Leaders
  • RotaKids
  • Peer Mentors
  • Charity Representatives
  • Performance Leaders
  • Rights Respecting Schools Ambassadors

These roles allow children to represent others, contribute ideas, lead activities and make a positive difference to their school and wider community.

Rights Across Our Curriculum

Children’s rights are explored throughout our curriculum and wider school experiences.

Children encounter issues relating to equality, diversity, democracy, justice, sustainability, culture, identity and global citizenship through subjects including English, History, Geography, Religious Education and Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education.

As children grow older, they are encouraged to think increasingly deeply about the world around them.

We want children to be curious, ask questions and develop informed opinions while learning to listen respectfully to views that may be different from their own.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Rights belong to every child.

Our Rights Respecting work therefore supports our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Children learn that people may have different:

  • cultures
  • religions and beliefs
  • languages
  • families
  • backgrounds
  • abilities
  • experiences

Difference is something to understand, respect and celebrate.

We encourage children to challenge stereotypes, recognise discrimination and treat everyone with dignity and respect.

Rights Beyond the School Gates

Being Rights Respecting extends beyond PCPS.

Children are encouraged to think about the lives and experiences of children locally, nationally and around the world.

Through charity work, community projects, environmental activities, RotaKids and other opportunities, children learn that their actions can make a difference.

We want children to leave PCPS understanding that they are part of a wider community and that they have the ability to contribute positively to the world around them.

Rights Respecting & Our School Values

Our Rights Respecting work complements our four school values:

Perseverance • Creativity • Pride • Shine

Perseverance encourages children to keep going and advocate for positive change.

Creativity encourages children to think about problems, ideas and solutions in different ways.

Pride encourages children to value themselves, their work, their community and the contribution they make.

Shine reminds us that every child has strengths, talents and abilities that deserve the opportunity to develop.

Together, our values and Rights Respecting approach help us create a community in which children understand that their voice matters and so does the voice of everyone else.

Find Out More

You can find more information about children’s rights and the Rights Respecting Schools Award directly from UNICEF UK:

UNICEF UK – RIGHTS RESPECTING SCHOOLS

THE UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

WHAT IS A RIGHTS RESPECTING SCHOOL?

Our Commitment

At PCPS, children’s rights are about much more than an award.

They are about the culture we create every day: how children are treated, how adults listen, how we treat one another and how children are empowered to participate in their school and the wider world.

Our aim is for every child to understand their rights, respect the rights of others and develop the confidence to make a positive contribution.

Ponteland Community Primary School

Where an abundance of opportunities await.