Rights Respecting Schools Award

Dungannon Primary School is on a journey to become a UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School. We are currently a Silver – Rights Committed school. We are striving to achieve Gold in June 25.

What is the Rights Respecting Schools Award?

The Unicef UK Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) supports schools across the UK to embed children's human rights in their ethos and culture.

UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. Every child, no matter who they are or where they live, has the right to grow up safe, happy and healthy. 

The award recognises achievement in putting the UN Convention on the Right of the Child (UNCRC) at the heart of a school’s practice to improve well-being and help all children realise their potential.

How Dungannon Primary School already promotes pupil’ rights:

• Anti-Bullying policy – Article 19: the right to be safe and to be protected from violence and/or neglect.
• Extra-curricular activities – Article 15: the right to meet with other pupils and join groups that you choose.
• Our School Ethos – Article 28: the right to education.
• We are an Eco school – Article 6/24/27: the right to live, survive and have the right to healthy food and water.
• Our Pastoral Care team – Article 12/19/36 – the right to be heard and respected, to be protected from violence, abuse and neglect.
• Our School Council and Eco Council – Article 12 – the right to have our pupil voice heard.
• Daily Mile - Article 24 - the right to the best possible health.
• Celebration of international events:
  • Safer Internet Day - Article 19/31 - the right to protection from violence/to leisure, play and culture.
  • International Mother Language Day – Article 2/30 – the right to speak their mother language
  • World Water Day - Article 24/27 - the right to the best possible health and the right to an adequate standard of living. 

Steering Group

The Rights Respecting Steering Group are 14 children from P3-P7 who are passionate about children's rights. They work with Miss Leitch to ensure that the whole school community knows about the rights that every child is born with and to ensure that these rights are being respected. 

Class Charters

At the start of each new school year, each class works with their teacher to create a class charter.  They choose focused Articles from the UNCRC to explore and include in their charter, however they do investigate all rights through various lessons throughout the year. The class charter is a way of ensuring that we work together to ensure everyone is able to enjoy their rights.

School Mascot

Our school has a mascot that is synonymous with children’s rights and will help to bring us closer to our goal of making sure that children’s rights are at the heart of our school. All classes participated in the design and our steering group chose the overall winner. Well done to Sophia Quinn (P6/7) from Mr Young’s class!  You will find it on the UNCRC articles around our school – be sure to look out for it to see how many rights you can find!

How can parents/carers support what children are learning about rights at school?

• Take the time to ask your child what he/she has learned recently about children’s rights. 
• Chat about the ideas learned in class, and try to think of examples from your own experiences, or from the media, of rights being respected or denied. 
• Discuss how your child or your family can promote respect for rights, or help those whose rights have been violated. 
• Ask your child’s opinion on children’s rights.