Shotton Hall Primary School in Peterlee to receive prestigious UNICEF UK Gold Award
Shotton Hall Primary School in Peterlee is to be awarded Gold by UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting School programme.
UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. The Rights Respecting Schools Award is 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. Gold is the highest accolade given by UNICEF UK and shows a deep and thorough commitment to children’s rights at all levels of school life. There are over 500 schools across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales that have received Gold.
Headteacher of Headteacher of Shotton Hall Primary School, Anita Boyd said: “ I am proud and delighted to receive this GOLD status award for the second time. Our staff and pupils have worked extremely hard to embed these values into the daily life of our school. Our children know and understand how to respect and ensure children’s rights are at the top of our agenda. This is now embedded in our practice and threaded through our school development, policy and decision making. I would like to thank the whole team for working together to achieve this award and in particular Claire Habicht for her leadership. I am confident that Shotton Hall Primary School is a wonderful place for children to learn and grow.’
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. UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools Programme Director, Frances Bestley, said: “Shotton Hall Primary School very much impressed us with the confident way in which children are positive participatory citizens who make a difference close to home and globally. We’ve seen how pupils understand their rights and show respect for each other, show a strong desire to make a difference to the lives of children in their own school and in other countries around the world, and regularly speak out and fundraise for projects in their community and globally. Shotton Hall has fully embraced the Convention on the Rights of the Child and we are very pleased to accredit the school with Gold: Rights Respecting.”
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.