Valley Invicta Primary School at Kings Hill receives prestigious Unicef UK Award

Valley Invicta Primary School at Kings Hill has been awarded the Bronze Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) by Unicef UK.

Unicef is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. The Bronze, Silver and Gold Rights Respecting Schools Awards are granted to schools that show commitment to promoting and realising children’s rights and encouraging adults, children and young people to respect the rights of others in school.

Head Teacher, Steph Guthrie, said: “We are so proud to have achieved the first stage of Unicef UK’s Rights Respecting Schools Award, Bronze: Rights Committed.  It is a huge achievement and recognises the effort and commitment put in by all our pupils, staff, governors and parents.  The Bronze Award will undoubtedly have a positive impact on us all moving forward as it puts the importance of children’s rights at the heart of everything we do as a school.  I would like to say a huge thank you to all of those who have contributed to this fabulous achievement.  We are now excited to be working towards the Silver Award.”

Year 6 pupil, Hudson, said: “I think our Rights Respecting Team is great because we can express our feelings with the team and nobody criticises our ideas or thoughts.  I feel confident sharing all my thoughts with teachers now and being a Rights Respecting school has boosted my confidence into higher levels.”

The Award recognises achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of a school’s planning, policies and practice.  A Rights Respecting School is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted.

The Unicef UK Rights Respecting Schools initiative is aimed at schools across the UK, including those in an early years setting. This year, the programme has received additional support from The People’s Postcode Lottery. This vital funding is helping Unicef UK continue its work with over 4500 primary schools, secondary schools, schools for children and young people with special educational needs and pupil referral units across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  Schools have reported a positive impact on pupil behaviour, relationships and well-being by enhancing pupil’s self-esteem, leading to less truancy and bullying, better learning and improved academic standards.