Friday 26 January 2024
Hautes Capelles Primary school in Guernsey 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 just over 600 schools across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales that have received Gold.
The school has been working with UNICEF UK since September 2019. They received their Silver certificate in December 2019. Hautes Capelles Primary School has been awarded with the Gold certificate. The children have planned to celebrate this on Friday 26th January with a "glittery/bright" mufti day and pupil voted on celebrations in the afternoon in each year group.
Headteacher of Hautes Capelles Primary School, Mrs Sue Coughlin said:
"I am incredibly proud of the pupils and school community working together, putting pupil rights, decision making and campaigning at the heart of our school vision and ethos. Attaining the Gold Award validates the pupils hard work and effort over several years. I am incredibly grateful to the staff team and whole community for supporting the pupils work and ensuring that the children know they can make a difference."
UNICEF recognised the following strengths in the school;
- A commitment to children's rights is embedded in the schools vision, values and curriculum. A strategic approach has placed the CRC at the heart of the schools ethos
- Children demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of rights
- Rights are explicitly linked to all areas of the schools work
- A strong focus on health and well-being of pupils
- Pupils are listened to and involved in decision making at a variety of levels
