Poplar Farm Primary School in Grantham is to be awarded Gold by the 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 600 schools across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales that have received Gold.
The school has been working with UNICEF UK since October 2021. They received their bronze certificate in March 2022 and silver certificate in July 2023. Poplar Farm will be awarded with the gold certificate.
The UNICEF Assessor said that upon visiting the school it was evident that children’s rights are embedded across the curriculum and underpin every facet of school life at Poplar Farm.
Headteacher, Kate Hodson, said: “I am so proud of us as a school for receiving the Gold Award from UNICEF UK. Particular thanks must go to Mrs Dowling who has led on all our Rights Respecting School initiatives. As a school community, we recognise the importance of putting children’s rights at the heart of what we do. Thank you to all our pupils, especially our Rights Respecting Rangers.”
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. Currently, it works with nearly 5,000 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 pupils’ self-esteem, leading to less truancy and bullying, better learning and improved academic standards.
