RIGHTS RESPECTING SCHOOL AWARD: LEVEL 01 AUDIT School Name:
Blandford St Mary Primary School
Completed by:
Rosemary Rees
Date:
17.03.10
ASPECT A: Leading and Managing a Rights Respecting School Current position
Standard 1
2 3 4 5
6
7
8
School leadership comments
The school leadership is fully committed to becoming a Rights Respecting School and creating the conditions for a rights respecting culture. Becoming a sustainable Rights Respecting School is included in the school’s development plan. The school leadership is monitoring and evaluating the impact of the RRSA. The UNCRC influences the school’s planning. Policies are being reviewed with reference to the UNCRC. The school leadership ensures that there are procedures in place for children / young people to have their views taken seriously in decisions which affect them. Good practice to become a Rights Respecting School is shared throughout the school and with UNICEF. The school’s RRSA journey is recorded. The school is promoting shared values based on the UNCRC in relations with its wider community.
Very much so. All support the development of both a Rights Respecting school AND a Rights Respecting community in Blandford.
The school leadership encourages work for global justice and sustainable development, guided by the values and principles of the UNCRC.
We are committed as a school to encourage a responsible approach to the environment. We have an Eco club, Eco bugs or monitors in every class. Enterprise week [March 2010] and the school production [November 2009] were both on the theme of recycling and maintaining sustainable living. Enterprise week 2009 was on the theme of Fair trade and the rights of all in the world market.
Yes Beginning [See action plan] SMT minutes show commitment to safety, behaviour and RRS agenda. Yes. Some teachers are including RRS in half termly topic plans. Very much so. All children are aware that they have a voice through their school council. School council have helped to interview new staff [March 2010] Problems such as noisy lunchtimes have been addressed by school council. There is a blog detailing the progress of RRS in the school on the school website.
Yes. Community policemen have spoken to the children in RRS language explaining how antisocial behaviour actually prevents others from enjoying their rights and detailing children’s responsibilities in maintaining a respectful community [Sept 2009]
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RIGHTS RESPECTING SCHOOL AWARD: LEVEL 01 AUDIT
ASPECT B: Teaching and Learning about the UNCRC Current position
Standard
Steering group comments
Children / young people comments
9
There is knowledge and understanding of the UNCRC and the Rights Respecting School Award throughout the school.
Yes.
Yes. Although some of the Reception children do not understand yet.
10
Parents and carers have been given information about the UNCRC and why the school is doing the Rights Respecting School Award.
Yes but we need to advertise the RRS blog more.
11
The school is introducing the language of rights, respect and responsibility based upon the UNCRC.
12
Curriculum and assembly planning includes provision for learning about the UNCRC.
The launch evening [October 2009] for parents and governors was extremely well attended and comments were very encouraging. All parents were given a copy of the UNICEF summary of the UNCRC. Copies also available at the school entrance. Parents were invited to assembly where each class explained their own charter. Each class has taken an article to explore and illustrate. These were based around work being done in the classrooms.. The articles were shared in a special parents assembly [oct 2009] Now displayed in the entrance hall. Yes. There are RRS assemblies included in the assembly programme. Also key dates like Book day are marked with special RRS assemblies. The language and ethos of RRS is used in all assemblies.
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The language is used a lot in the classrooms but not so much in the playground.
We have done lots on the importance of fair trade and children’s rights to health care, food water, and education.
RIGHTS RESPECTING SCHOOL AWARD: LEVEL 01 AUDIT 13
Children’s rights are being included in teaching and learning about global citizenship and sustainable development.
Yes. Again Enterprise weeks have particularly reinforced this. Also news events are explained and responded to in terms of our responsibility to work towards rights for all children.[ Haiti appeal, Operation Christmas Child.
We have our Eco bugs that monitor our classrooms and make sure energy is not being wasted. We have an Eco club and gardening club. We make lots of collections for children in other countries when disasters happen. We had a map of Haiti on the hall floor which we filled with coins.
ASPECT C: Creating and maintaining a Rights Respecting Ethos Standard
Current position Steering group comments
14
The school is developing an inclusive and nondiscriminatory ethos that is based on the UNCRC.
The school has an excellent record of non discrimination. This is closely monitored and any incidents would be logged in governors records. The school is well equipped for children with special needs. Rainbow work and circle time support this. In every class room. Designed, agreed on and signed by all children and staff.
15
Charters based on the UNCRC are introduced into classrooms and the wider school.
16
Staff recognise the importance of modelling rightsrespecting language and behaviour and are demonstrating this throughout the school.
Yes More experienced teachers in RRS have modelled using the message and language of Rights and responsibilities to resolve conflicts between children and any breaches of discipline.
17
Children / young people and adults in the school are learning how the values and principles of the UNCRC help to create a safe and secure environment.
Yes. Safety issues at playtime have been discussed as a whole school. Children have responded well to realising their own
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Children / young people comments Yes the school is fair to everyone.
Yes Luke and Allanah have checked. [RRS representatives] The playground charters need to be more noticeable though. Yes all our teachers use Rights and Responsibilities in our classrooms.
We need charters to keep the school calm. They help us to manage things ourselves sometimes without the teachers.
RIGHTS RESPECTING SCHOOL AWARD: LEVEL 01 AUDIT 18
The school is developing an ethos where children can think freely and express their views without loss of dignity to themselves or others.
19
The school is developing an ethos where children / young people use the values and language of the UNCRC to support their development as rights respecting global citizens.
responsibilities in keeping themselves and others safe. Always, There is a general acceptance that making mistakes is part of the learning process. That people have different ideas and beliefs.
Playtimes could still be improved.
Children are beginning to identify themselves and their school as RR. Letters written by children to a link school in London have mentioned that we are a RRS school. The world wall in the hall is constantly ued to remind us of our global citizenship.
We try to help children in other countries who are in trouble.
Yes. People are respecting other people’s feelings more.
ASPECT D: Engaging and Empowering Children / Young People Standard
Current position Steering group comments
Children / young people comments
20
Children / young people are involved in decisions which can affect the life of their school.
We have a very prominent school council [See school council blog]
Yes. Recently we did interviews for Mrs. O Brien’s job.
21
Children / young people are involved in developing, monitoring and evaluating progress to become a Rights Respecting School.
Again , part of the role of School council. Also we have two RRS representatives who have taken visitors from Spetisbury School around and explained our charters and our enterprise week work. We also visited their school, and advised them on how to introduce RRS.
School council made up a new school prayer including Rights and Responsibilities. We decided the lunchtime Charter needed to be bigger and illustrated for the younger children. We are now discussing what needs to be done next.
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Children / young people are involved in making choices which shape their learning.
23
Children / young people have access to information which enables them to make informed decisions.
24
Children / young people are involved in taking action to improve the lives of children locally and globally.
Every topic begins with a session where children are introduce to the new theme and given an opportunity to decide on questions they would like to find answers to. Teachers then take these questions and work them into their planning. As all our learning is through AFL children are always involved in assessing their own learning and identifying next steps. SEAL work is ongoing and circle time gives children a platform to discuss issues. Sex education takes place. Annual visits from the life van stimulate discussion on how to make the right choices.
We write down things that we want to learn about in our topics. At the end we look back at these. We have a traffic light system which we use to tell our teacher if we have understood what we are learning. We have smiley faces and can select extra challenges if we are confident and want to be extended. Mr. Lavis and the teachers discuss issues with us.
Enterprise week, international arts week, Response to news and international events, communication with children in other parts of the country have all helped to raise children’s awareness of other children’s lives.
Our School is good at this. We donate a lot to children in need. Locally we have clothes recycling and uniform collections.
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