We are a Unicef Rights Respecting School and are currently working towards achieving our Gold Award. A Rights Respecting School is a school that embeds the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in their ethos and culture to improve well-being and support and encourage all children to achieve their full potential. 

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was adopted in 1989 by governments across the world, who agreed that all children have the same rights. The UNCRC has 54 articles that are based on what a child needs to survive, grow, participate and fulfil their potential.

Elms Farm is committed to ensuring that our children know their rights & responsibilities. We have been awarded the Silver Award by Unicef which shows our work in this area.

Our Accreditation Report highlighted:

How are we a Rights Respecting School?

At Elms Farm, children’s rights are embedded through our school values of Ambition, Community and Equality. School staff, as duty bearers, ensure that all children, the duty holders are able to exercise and access their rights. Children’s rights play a huge part in the daily life of our school. Every day, children’s rights are learnt, taught, practised, protected and promoted by learning about rights, through rights and for rights. As a Right’s Respecting School, we aim to create a culture where everyone feels valued and confident and encouraged to have their voice listened to. Children are involved in how the Award is implemented in our school. Their voice is listened to and they are involved in strategic decision-making as well as decisions about their learning and well-being.

Here are some of the ways that we have adopted the UNCRC at our school:

• Children’s rights are displayed across the school and the children are very familiar with a great number of these. During lessons and assemblies, children discuss how children’s rights are being respected or denied, linked to what they are learning.
• Every year, each class creates a class charter. The children choose the rights that they feel are most important to them and decide on the actions that both the rights holders (children) and duty bearers (adults) in the class should take to show how they will respect these rights.
• The Rights Respecting Rangers meet with Miss Knight regularly and help her to ensure that children’s rights are being accessed and promoted at our school. ‍

How can I help my child at home?

• Talk to your child about their rights.
• Discuss the Article of the Month with your child, which can be found on the school newsletter on Class Dojo.
• Ask your child what they have learnt recently about children’s rights or discuss how children’s rights are being respected or denied in the media.