Rights Respecting Schools

Our Rights Respecting School journey

At St Francis, we are deeply committed to fostering a culture of rights, respect, and equality. Our journey as a Rights Respecting School (RRS) began a number of years ago, with a clear vision to create an environment where the rights of every child are upheld, understood, and respected. In 2021, we celebrated the achievement of our Bronze Award, a significant milestone that demonstrated our dedication to the principles outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Building on this success, we are now working towards our Silver Award, linking with our partner school, Longhaugh Primary, to ensure that this commitment extends across our entire campus. Our journey is shaped by three key strands, each of which plays a vital role in ensuring that rights are not just taught but embedded into the ethos and practices of our school community.

Strand A: Teaching and Learning About Rights
This strand emphasizes the importance of educating both children and adults about the rights outlined in the UNCRC. We are committed to ensuring that everyone in our school community—students, staff, and families—has a shared understanding of these rights. This knowledge serves as a foundation for improving child well-being, fostering school improvement, and promoting global justice and sustainability. At St Francis, we make it a priority to ensure that the rights of the child are central to our learning and teaching approaches.

Strand B: Teaching and Learning Through Rights, Ethos, and Relationships
This strand focuses on integrating the principles of the UNCRC into the daily actions, decisions, and relationships within our school. It is about ensuring that every child, young person, and adult is treated with dignity and respect, and that equality, non-discrimination, and participation are fundamental to our ethos. Through collaboration and open communication, we work together to create a community where every individual feels valued, empowered, and heard. Our approach to teaching respects the rights of both educators and learners, promoting the well-being of all.

Strand C: Teaching and Learning for Rights – Participation, Empowerment, and Action
Strand C highlights the importance of empowering children to not only understand their rights but also to actively promote the rights of others both locally and globally. It is about fostering a sense of accountability, where children can participate in decision-making processes and take meaningful action to uphold the rights of those around them. Our Rights Respecting Pupil Steering group plays an integral role in this strand, meeting fortnightly to discuss and advocate for the rights of children. They talk at assemblies and raise awareness about the Right of the Month (ROTM), ensuring that the principles of rights, equality, and dignity are visibly integrated into the daily life of the school.

At St Francis, we believe that every pupil should be aware of their rights, and that this awareness should be coupled with an understanding of the responsibilities that come with those rights. Through initiatives like our ROTM, where we explore rights and important days in our calendar, and our ongoing work with our Rights Respecting Pupil Steering group, we are building a community where children are empowered to exercise their rights and advocate for the rights of others.

We are dedicated to ensuring that, in all aspects of school life, the rights of the child are not only visible but lived—creating a positive and inclusive environment where every child’s dignity and well-being are at the heart of everything we do.