The Rights Respecting Schools Award puts children’s rights at the heart of schools in the UK.

The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) works with schools in the UK to create safe and inspiring places to learn, where children are respected, their talents are nurtured and they are able to thrive. Our Rights Respecting Schools Award embeds these values in daily school life and gives children the best chance to lead happy, healthy lives and to be responsible, active citizens.

For a school to receive accreditation, it must evidence that it has reached the three RRSA Strands. A school uses these Strands and other guidance provided to plan and monitor progress.

Achieving Bronze: Rights Committed means there is evidence that:

• You have introduced the RRSA Three Strands into your school community
• Your school’s senior leadership team (SLT) understands what is involved in the Award and is committed to embarking on the UNICEF UK Rights Respecting journey
• The right foundations are in place for your school’s journey to the second stage of the Award, Silver: Rights Aware

Achieving Silver: Rights Aware means there is evidence that:

• Your school is explicitly embedding the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in its policy, practice and culture.
• You are promoting knowledge and understanding of the Convention throughout your school community.
• You are putting into action and developing the plans outlined on your Action Plan for Silver, which you submitted to achieve Bronze: Rights Committed.
• You are beginning to see the positive impact of these actions on children and young people, staff, and on the school’s ethos, practice and environment.
• Children and young people are beginning to see themselves as rights respecting global citizens and advocates for fairness and children’s rights, both locally and globally.

Our Silver Award: Rights Aware accreditation is valid for three years, after which we will be aiming to be reaccredited with Silver in February 2023, before going for Gold in 2024!

Gold: Rights Respecting is the third stage of the Rights Respecting Schools Award.

It is granted by UNICEF UK to schools that have fully embedded children’s rights throughout the school in its policies, practice and ethos, as outlined in the RRSA Strands and Outcomes (see Gold Forms and Guides).

To achieve Gold: Rights Respecting, schools will be assessed by one of our Professional Advisers who will look at the whole school’s rights respecting work and the impact that has been made through embedding children’s rights into school life.

Achieving Gold: Rights Respecting means there is evidence that:

• Your school has explicitly adopted a child rights approach based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and has embedded it in school policy, practice and culture.
• Children, young people and adults in your school have a thorough understanding of child rights, and rights respecting attitudes and language are embedded across the school.
• RRSA has had a positive impact on children and young people’s learning and wellbeing.
• Students see themselves as rights respecting global citizens and are advocates for social justice, fairness and children’s rights at home and abroad.

Children and young people also play an increasingly leading role in driving progress. At Gold: Rights Respecting, you are aiming to intensify and broaden:

1. Teaching and Learning about rights: for the whole school community through training, curriculum, assemblies, topics, focus days/weeks, displays.
2. Teaching and Learning through rights: by modelling rights respecting language and attitudes and making strategic decisions that involve students.
3. Being ambassadors for the rights of others: developing as rights respecting citizens.